Chronicle, Marquette U. Professors Criticize Withdrawal of Job Offer to Lesbian Scholar:

Marquette University has withdrawn an employment offer it made to a prospective new dean for its College of Arts and Sciences, provoking sharp criticism from several faculty members who see the move as a blow to academic freedom and diversity at the Jesuit institution, according to news reports.

The rejected hiree, Jodi O'Brien, is a sociologist at Seattle University and a lesbian who has written about gender and sexual-identity issues. A Marquette University spokeswoman said the withdrawal of the job offer to Ms. O'Brien was not about the quality of her scholarly work or her sexual identity, but about how some of her writings related "to Catholic mission and identity," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Nancy E. Snow, a philosophy professor, told the newspaper she believes the move was "all about her sexual orientation" and was motivated by administrators' fears of upsetting donors.

In an e-mail message to the Journal Sentinel, Ms. O'Brien confirmed that she had been offered the position at Marquette and had accepted it, "but there was an intercession by the president before my appointment was announced officially."

• Huffington Post, Marquette Withdraws Job Offer To Lesbian Dean Candidate Jodi O'Brien
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Marquette on Hot Seat for Rescinding Job Offer to Lesbian
• New York Times, Marquette Rescinds Offer to Sociologist
• Seattle Times, Marquette Withdraws Offer to Dean Candidate