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Threats force gay lecturer to flee
Published: Monday | January 30, 2012 Comments 0
UTech law students suffer as activist avoids campus
Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter
A GAY rights activist has taken leave of absence from his job as a lecturer at the University of Technology (UTech).
Professor Oswald Harding, dean of UTech's Faculty of Law, told The Gleaner that Maurice Tomlinson had received threats as a result of his sexual orientation.
"Maurice got married to his life partner in Canada. He has received eight threats. The information is that one of his own students is one of the threats," said Harding.
Tomlinson, a lawyer, married a male in Canada last August.
"He doesn't feel safe in his class or his country," Harding said.
Tomlinson said he has not quit his job at the university.
"Police intelligence has indicated that is unsafe for me to return to the campus and teach at this time because my security has been compromised," he told The Gleaner via email yesterday.
"I am still employed to the University of Technology and have been in touch with the programme director of the Faculty of Law, Mr Alfred McPherson, about my security concerns since I started getting death threats," he said.
Some law students at the institution have been questioning the reason for the protracted absence of Tomlinson.
The students say the absent lecturer has left them without any classes in two courses since the start of the new semester.
Three advisories issued
Three advisories issued to the affected law students claim that the teacher would not be available to teach until next month because of security concerns.
"Due to safety concerns beyond his control, Maurice Tomlinson will not be able to commence delivering classes for equity and trusts this semester until February 10, 2012.
"All students assigned to his lecture and tutorials are therefore asked to sit in classes being delivered by Ms Kedian Francis until that time. Mr Tomlinson will hold make-up lectures and tutorials in this course as soon as he can begin teaching," read one of the advisories.
Two similar memos were disseminated to students taking the commercial law and discrimination law courses this semester.
McPherson told The Gleaner that the advisories received by the students were not issued by the faculty but could have come directly from Tomlinson.
The programme director said Tomlinson was slated to teach two courses this semester but was unable to say how many students were affected by his absence.
Despite the apologies, apparently from Tomlinson, the evening students were still up in arms because they claimed that the alternative being offered clashes with their work schedules.
"No class for evening students for three weeks. They are told to sit in day classes, which means asking time off from employers," one student said.
"... He's suggesting sitting in a Wednesday 9 a.m. class. Not possible! We work. And, not all of us will get the time, so we will still be at a disadvantage," fumed one of the affected law students.
McPherson admitted that the students have not had any lectures with Tomlinson since the semester began but denied that the evening students were told they would have to sit in morning classes.
"It is being addressed. There are no concrete plans," said McPherson on Friday.
tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com
</DIV>
Published: Monday | January 30, 2012 Comments 0
UTech law students suffer as activist avoids campus
Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter
A GAY rights activist has taken leave of absence from his job as a lecturer at the University of Technology (UTech).
Professor Oswald Harding, dean of UTech's Faculty of Law, told The Gleaner that Maurice Tomlinson had received threats as a result of his sexual orientation.
"Maurice got married to his life partner in Canada. He has received eight threats. The information is that one of his own students is one of the threats," said Harding.
Tomlinson, a lawyer, married a male in Canada last August.
"He doesn't feel safe in his class or his country," Harding said.
Tomlinson said he has not quit his job at the university.
"Police intelligence has indicated that is unsafe for me to return to the campus and teach at this time because my security has been compromised," he told The Gleaner via email yesterday.
"I am still employed to the University of Technology and have been in touch with the programme director of the Faculty of Law, Mr Alfred McPherson, about my security concerns since I started getting death threats," he said.
Some law students at the institution have been questioning the reason for the protracted absence of Tomlinson.
The students say the absent lecturer has left them without any classes in two courses since the start of the new semester.
Three advisories issued
Three advisories issued to the affected law students claim that the teacher would not be available to teach until next month because of security concerns.
"Due to safety concerns beyond his control, Maurice Tomlinson will not be able to commence delivering classes for equity and trusts this semester until February 10, 2012.
"All students assigned to his lecture and tutorials are therefore asked to sit in classes being delivered by Ms Kedian Francis until that time. Mr Tomlinson will hold make-up lectures and tutorials in this course as soon as he can begin teaching," read one of the advisories.
Two similar memos were disseminated to students taking the commercial law and discrimination law courses this semester.
McPherson told The Gleaner that the advisories received by the students were not issued by the faculty but could have come directly from Tomlinson.
The programme director said Tomlinson was slated to teach two courses this semester but was unable to say how many students were affected by his absence.
Despite the apologies, apparently from Tomlinson, the evening students were still up in arms because they claimed that the alternative being offered clashes with their work schedules.
"No class for evening students for three weeks. They are told to sit in day classes, which means asking time off from employers," one student said.
"... He's suggesting sitting in a Wednesday 9 a.m. class. Not possible! We work. And, not all of us will get the time, so we will still be at a disadvantage," fumed one of the affected law students.
McPherson admitted that the students have not had any lectures with Tomlinson since the semester began but denied that the evening students were told they would have to sit in morning classes.
"It is being addressed. There are no concrete plans," said McPherson on Friday.
tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com
</DIV>
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