By Adam Collins
Shortly after classes ended in December, the University of Louisville revoked the contract of sociology professor John McTighe. The action was in response to inappropriate comments he made during a class following the presidential election.
In an interview with The Courier-Journal printed on Dec. 10, McTighe said he was misquoted in the opinion column by Brian Yates that brought the incident to light, but admitted to making similar comments.
Yates, the publisher of The Louisville Patriot, was the first to bring McTighe’s comments to the public’s attention. In his column, “Terrorists off-limits but Christians fair game,” he quotes one of McTighe’s students, K.C. Martin, who claimed that during class McTighe said, “It was the religious zealots who say they are voting on morals. I think we should all buy AK-47s and shoot them all. That’s what I would suggest, if it were allowed.”
However, Martin was also quoted as saying that McTighe told the class, “Yes, I’m being sarcastic.”
His column prompted a number of organizations, including the American Family Association, to send letters to the university in response to McTighe’s comments. After receiving over 1,600 e-mails, the university withdrew his contract.
McTighe will not instruct any classes during the spring semester, but the university will review the complaints regarding his comments and make a decision as to whether or not to reinstate his contract at a later date.
