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[Catholic Caucus] Franciscan University Attempts to Silence Faculty New rules threaten 'disciplinary action' if professors speak to media STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (ChurchMilitant.com) - Franciscan University of Steubenville, suffering from a recent spate of bad press, is trying to rein in faculty by threatening disciplinary action if they give comments to media. In new guidelines on academic freedom sent this week to all faculty, the administration warns, "Anonymous communication of facts or opinions about the University to media outlets or other external organizations is unprofessional and unethical, and may be grounds for disciplinary action." Anonymous communication ... may be grounds for disciplinary action.Tweet The document fails...

A Catholic academic institution in Ohio has come under fire for having a class in which homosexuality is declared a "deviant behavior" alongside things like murder, rape, drug use, and prostitution. Franciscan University of Steubenville came under fire from a homosexual alumnus who was researching a story and stumbled upon the course description for Social Work 314. SWK 314 is a course that focuses on deviant behavior, stating that behaviors to be "primarily examined" would include "murder, rape, robbery, prostitution, homosexuality, mental illness, and drug use." While Tom Sofio of the public relations department at Franciscan University declined to give...

After criticizing The Franciscan University of Steubenville for its stance on homosexuality, a gay alumni group with no official connection to the faithful Catholic university is being urged to cease publicly affiliating themselves with the college. Last week, a group calling itself Franciscan University Gay Alumni and Allies issued a news release that appeared on The Daily Kos among other places questioning why the course description of a class offered by the university seems to label homosexuality as “deviant behavior.” The course description is called “Deviant Behavior and, according to the university’s website: DEVIANT BEHAVIOR focuses on the sociological theories...

The Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio faces questions about its accreditation because of a course description that links homosexuality with crimes like murder, rape and robbery. The university's social work program offers the course, called SWK 314 Deviant Behavior. The course description reads: "The behaviors that are primarily examined are murder, rape, robbery, prostitution, homosexuality, mental illness and drug use." Members of a Franciscan University gay and lesbian alumni group on Facebook discovered the course description and have asked the school to change it. "As a lesbian and as a psychological professional, I found a couple of things offensive,"...

STEUBENVILLE, OH, September 11, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The national agency which grants accreditation to social work courses is questioning Franciscan University of Steubenville over a course which lists homosexuality as a deviant behavior. Attention was drawn to the course by a group of Franciscan University alumni, identifying themselves as “Franciscan Gay Alumni & Allies”, who are demanding publicly that the university “revise its course descriptions and to stop contributing the culture of hate and ignorance.” The course is called ‘Deviant Behavior’ and the part of the course description in question states, “The behaviors that are primarily examined are murder, rape,...

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A group of gay university alumni and allies is challenging the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, over its inclusion of homosexuality in its course on “deviant behavior.” The group, Gay Alumni and Allies of Catholic Universities, said that Franciscan University, a conservative Catholic institution on the Ohio-West Virginia border, is “contributing” to a “culture of hate and ignorance” by teaching “ideological falsehoods in the classroom rather than solid, proven research and evidence.” But according to the University, the principles of academic freedom apply to the course and that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” At issue is this...

Dr. Deal Hudson of "Inside Catholic" reports that Dr. Nicholas P. Cafardi, noted legal scholar, former Dean of Duquesne University Law School and now prominent Catholic supporter of the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama has just resigned from his position as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Deal reports that the President of the University, Fr. Terrence Henry, TOR,received a letter of resignation from the former Dean on Monday, October 6, 2008. Cafardi was once hailed, along with fellow legal scholar Doug Kmiec, as a leading Pro-Life voice among Catholic academics.

An e-mail from Steubenville, Ohio, hometown of the Catholic University of Steubenville: John Kerry came to Steubenville yesterday and quickly realized he was in the wrong city. Steubenville is a city where there are 6 Democrats for every 1 Republican, and the Steelworkers unions are alive and active. You would think this was solid John Kerry territory. The mob used to control Steubenville and now the unions think they do. Well, they are wrong. The Kerry campaign first scheduled a visit to Steubenville two weeks ago but "scheduling conflicts" came up at the last minute. Oh, and did I mention...