aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Thomas’ choice as UGA grad speaker riles faculty

In contrast to Cosby who I find to be interesting and thoughtful, there is the knee-jerk, doctrinaire, cardboard, “originalist” conservatism of Clarence Thomas.

The Georgia native will be the graduation speaker up the road at UGA. Some faculty are not pleased:

Some faculty members said they were outraged that the university would ask Thomas to speak when UGA has been facing criticism that administrators have been slow to address sexual harassment complaints filed against faculty members.

“What a slap in the face this is to everyone who has been working to bring to light the realities of sexual harassment, and to establish appropriate methods and offices for addressing this significant problem on our campus,” Chris Cuomo, director of UGA’s Institute for Women’s Studies, told The Red & Black student newspaper.

UGA spokesman Tom Jackson said Thomas has a close relationship with the UGA School of Law and has visited campus several times to give lectures.

“We’re honored to have an associate justice of the Supreme Court bringing our commencement address,” Jackson said.

Via Think Progress.