Tax Information And Guide

Top Candidate Eliminated in Religion Dept. Search

Date 2/20/1997 12:00 AM | Topic: News

A decision by President Baker not to support the hiring of a lesbian, Buddhist candidate for a tenure-track position in the religion department has eliminated the candidate from consideration.

In November of 1996, members of the religion department attended a national convention in New Orleans to conduct interviews for a position teaching history of religion, specifically Asian religions. They returned to campus with a list of top candidates. Among them was a Buddhist woman who had offered the information that she was a lesbian.

According to John Sieber, head of the religion department, the department had decided that for this particular position, the candidate need not be a Christian, but did have to have a religious faith of some sort. "There is an implicit understanding in the religion department that We 're somewhere between schools that say it doesn't matter who your are, anybody can teach religion, and schools that say you have to be a Christian or a Lutheran or a certain kind of Lutheran to teach religion."

However, the search committee recognized that the candidate's sexual orientation might become an issue and proceeded to consult President Baker. As president of the college, Baker has final authority in all hiring decisions, including the power to veto a candidate.

After being presented with a description of the individual, Baker said that he would not support her candidacy at that time. He indicated that he was willing to discuss the issue further, but was concerned that the candidate was not appropriate for the position given the special nature of the religion department in a college of the ELCA.

By law, religious considerations can be a factor in hiring for church related positions, despite an employer's status as an equal opportunity employer. In the case of the ELCA, homosexuals are ordained only on the condition that they remain celibate. The relationship between standards for ELCA clergy and religion professors at an ELCA college remains an issue.

Following the meeting between Baker and the committee, the religion department met and decided to set aside the rank the candidates solely on the basis of merit. In this ranking, the lesbian candidate fell first on their list.

By mid-January the confidentiality of the hiring process had been violated and rumors about President Baker's decision had leaked to students. When the time came to invite candidates for campus interviews, the president had not changed his mind and the department determined that bringing the candidate to campus knowing that she would not be hired would not be worthwhile.

"I can see her candidacy as a way of forcing an issue," said John Sieber, head of the religion department. "It wouldn't be fair to bring [her] to campus and make a showcase out of [her]."

During this lengthy process, the department has lost 4 of its top 5 candidates. The lesbian candidate was not offered an interview, 2 candidates took other positions, and another declined the position for personal reasons. At this time, 2 candidates have been brought to campus for interviews and no final offer has been made.

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Jessica Olsen, Kris Lyndon
Assistant Editor, Editor

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