The Dispatch reports on A former Ohio State University librarian accused of sexual harassment after recommending a conservative book for freshmen has filed a lawsuit against the university and some of its faculty. Scott Savage, who said he resigned because of personal and professional attacks on his character, asks for his job back and for OSU to be forced to change its sexual-harassment policies.
OSU is “an aggressive proponent of the homosexual lifestyle by virtue of its practices and policies,” Savage says in the lawsuit, filed in federal court because he says his civil rights were violated.
Suing to get a job back–that he himself resigned from.
My problems with this story:
“..Professors James F. Buckley and Norman W. Jones filed a sexual-harassment complaint against Savage, saying he was homophobic for suggesting the book. The complaint was dismissed as unfounded. (my emphasis)”
Some faculty complained, complaint was dismissed…this should be the end of the story, right there. Remember, he wasn’t fired, he resigned.
“Because he continued to be harassed, Savage said, he was forced to resign.”
Possible Translation?: Because he continued to be an outspoken homophobic bigot and/or proselyting religious fanatic, he found colleagues became less friendly and more personally cold to him and wanted nothing to do with him on either a personal or professional level.
I somehow doubt his director asked him to resign.
“The suit says he is a devout Christian, married for 18 years and the father of eight. ”
Father of EIGHT…read that again.
Thus as a practical matter, it’s VERY cavalier of him to up and resign over something like that. Makes me suspect he’s being bankrolled by entities unnamed who deliberately want to stir up trouble and are using him as their poster boy. Or maybe not, maybe he just has shockingly bad judgment and believes deep down “The Lord Will Provide”, or something, though it may have to wait until after the vehicle repossession and the home foreclosure…
“It says he has struggled to find library work since leaving OSU.”
Hey, it’s a tight job market out there…how long has he actually been looking?
It took me over a year to find a new library job after my first library employer let me go for much more mundane professional differences. Does he think he’s going to be welcomed back with open arms, in the unlikely event he prevails in his suit?
Interestingly, the story never mentions if Mr. Savage’s recommended book was added to the collection or not. Inquiring library minds want to know.
an answer to your final question
It doesn’t appear that Savage’s recommended book was added:
http://library.ohio-state.edu/search/t?SEARCH=The+Marketing+of+Evil&searchscope=7&submit=Submit
Reasons to quit
This part of your post is pure fantasy and smear intended for others, “Possible Translation?: Because he continued to be an outspoken homophobic bigot and/or proselyting religious fanatic, he found colleagues became less friendly. . .”, you have no way of knowing any of that. However, I agree in principle. It was irresponsible for him to resign with such a large family, and although his book suggestion was never approved, the complaint was dismissed. Cooler heads are needed on that campus (OSU branch) all around. Suing to get back a job when you see there aren’t any others (or that all doors are closed because of a hostile environment due to your politics or religion) is bad planning. All conservative Christians know academe is hostile to their beliefs. There are other laws to handle real threats. “Sticks and stones. . . so forth.” I doubt that this was his first encounter with over the top nastiness (like that warm fuzzy in the comment above). Voluntarily leaving the position and then changing your mind is not the way to remedy that.