Professor's 'F- Off' to Republican Students Sparks Free Speech Debate
At the University of Iowa, the College Republicans sent an email this week to the entire college community about an event they termed the "Conservative Coming Out Week." Planned events include an "Animal Rights BBQ" and an opportunity for students to "pick up your Doctors' Notice to miss class for 'sick of being stressed', just like the Wisconsin public employees during the union protests."
No doubt this email was intended to be provocative. But few expected this: Ellen Lewin, a professor of Anthropology and Gender, Women's & Sexuality Studies, wrote back: "FUCK YOU, REPUBLICANS."
Natalie Ginty, Chairwoman of the Iowa Federation of College Republicans, wrote in an email to one of Lewin's supervisors:
We understand that as a faculty member she has the right to express her political opinion, but by leaving her credentials at the bottom of the email she was representing the University of Iowa, not herself alone.
In response, Lewin issued something of an apology on Monday, where she wrote:
I admit the language was inappropriate, and apologize for any affront to anyone's delicate
