Washington U. takes heat about honoring Schlafly

St.Louis Post Dispatch reports:

Washington University's decision to bestow an honorary degree on conservative
political activist and author Phyllis Schlafly has stirred outrage among some
students and faculty.

Opponents of Schlafly's honorary doctorate formed a group on the
social-networking website Facebook and had 1,023 members as of Monday evening.

At a meeting Monday afternoon, students discussed plans to protest during
commencement ceremonies May 16, senior Kevin Hess said.

Hess, who attended the meeting and is a member of the Facebook group, said the
outrage is not over Schlafly's politics but over comments she has made that he
called "unquestionably inflammatory and unfounded."

While the university has the right to bring Schlafly as a speaker, she should
not be given an honorary degree, Hess said. Schlafly already has a bachelor's
degree and a law degree from the university.

Mary Ann Dzuback, the director of the women and gender studies department at
Washington University agreed, said it was "grossly inappropriate" for the
university to honor Schlafly with a degree.

"She's spent her entire career speaking against women in the workforce and for
them remaining in the home," Dzuback said of Schlafly, who rose to prominence
during the successful campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.

Dzuback said she and several other faculty members will protest by not
participating in commencement ceremonies as usual.

The university issued a statement Sunday defending its decision, saying it —
like many other universities — chooses to honor those "who have become a part
of the broad public discourse on vital issues of the times." The statement
cited other controversial figures, such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, whom the
school has honored.

Some students, like freshman Rachel Wisdom, approved of the university's
decision. Wisdom, an intern last summer at Schlafly's Eagle Forum organization,
started her own Facebook group in support of Schlafly. It had 18 members as of
Monday evening. "I think the controversy is absolutely ridiculous," Wisdom
said. "If students claim to be open-minded and tolerant, they shouldn't care."

Socialist professors can't stand people who aren't socialists.So much for campus diversity.