The Frontal Cortex

You are correct. This IS EXCELLENT news. Thanks for the update.

Posted by: Denise | November 3, 2009 9:56 AM

I'm glad he's back, but I do wish he hadn't been pressured into apologizing for something that requires no apology:

"'I agree with the Board that the material in my class was not age appropriate for my sophomores and for that, I apologize. I understand the Board has decided that I shall receive a Notice of Remedial Warning,' he said in the statement."

I'm also disappointed by the administration's appeal to "age appropriateness" in order to draw attention away from the homosexuality angle:

"DeLong also said that the administration's concerns centered not on 'sexual preference or homophobic condemnation,' but rather 'the age appropriateness of the material.'"

I have no respect for an administration that promotes the myth of childhood innocence, especially at the high-school level.

Posted by: Adrian Lopez | November 3, 2009 12:06 PM

I fail to see how this is excellent news. It's great for him personally and just another example of how anti-gay hysteria is tolerated and then reenforced. By apologizing and then calling the process a successful exercise in an open forum of ideas (in the press release) it gives the appearance of due process of ideas. But the fact remains this was a reaction to a scientific article that had no more explicit material than those found in popular culture. What it did have was an argument away from homophobia as a subjective bias rather than one with objective merit.

The idea reenforced here is that 10th graders reading an article about homosexual behavior in the animal kingdom is somehow more dangerous and less acceptable than any other scientific article. It's and absurd idea. (I am assuming that these students have had to read other articles about animal reproduction. Although I did so I think it is a fair assumption.)

Or for that matter, listening to Lil Wayne's (for example) homophobic lyrics is less damaging to these students. Dr. Lehrer, you agree that 10th graders reading your article amounts to child abuse while a parent who lets their child listen to homophobic lyrics is not?

Mr. DeLong has let the thought police into his classroom. What happens the next time a teacher wants to use this article? I guess he or she has been warned. All this in an age where anti-gay rants in the classroom are considered protected religious expression. So excellent news for Mr. DeLong and I guess the rest of us just have to watch our back from now on.

Posted by: Brian | November 3, 2009 8:51 PM

It's only not age appropriate because it's about *gasp* gays! If it were about animals mating with opposite sex animals, no one would have said a word.

This news is bittersweet.

I'm glad he got his job back -- he certainly shouldn't be jobless over *this* -- but I'm tired of having to apologize about talking about homosexuality to children. Like it's some evil, evil thing kids can't handle. It's the ADULTS that can't handle it.

Posted by: marilove | November 4, 2009 10:02 AM