Perverted Professors

I would like to begin this week’s column with a question: Have you ever heard of a group called “Consenting Academics for Sexual Equity?”

Most likely you have not. It’s not a famous organization. I wouldn’t know it existed if I hadn’t read about it in Ben Shapiro’s book Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America’s Youth. It’s a small, obscure group with few members. But it is important that we, especially the young women among us, know about it because it illustrates a larger problem in academia today.

Consenting Academics for Sexual Equity is an organization founded by University of California at Long Beach professor Barry Dank. Its goal is to remove any and all restrictions on sexual relationships between students and faculty. I know it sounds like he’s a dirty old man, but he’s really not. He’s only thinking of women’s rights, as he says that university rules outlawing professor/student sex are “an attack on young women.” What a selfless fellow he is.

I’ll state the obvious here: This group exists to help horny old men and women get laid, nothing more, nothing less. I did a little research on this club, but I was unable to determine if there were any members on the UT faculty. I strongly suspect there are at least one or two, though.

A few professors feel that it is their duty to educate their students about sex, particularly “inexperienced” students. Some of them do it in a very, ahem, “hands on” sort of way. A course taught at Wesleyan University featured a unique final assignment: “Just create your own work of pornography.” One student videotaped a man’s eyes while he masturbated. This work earned her an “A.” I’m sure John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, would be proud to have his name attached to this school.

Classes that explore pornography are becoming more common across the nation. Kansas University, New York University, and Arizona State University all offer classes on “adult entertainment.” One of my professors claims that porn is an “art form.” Maybe so, but when I think of art, I tend to think of, you know, actual art (not necessarily as defined by the National Endowment for the Arts). Next they will be telling us “hooking up” is also a form of art.

Speaking of “hooking up” (defined as “no strings attached sexual encounters ranging from kissing to sex”), some professors think it is an important virtue for students as well. “That’s what they are supposed to be doing, experimenting and risking and finding out who they are,” says Cal State-Chico professor Lyndall Ellington. I guess Professor Ellington never heard of unwanted consequences, like pregnancies and venereal diseases. He’s not the only one. 10% of respondents to a recent survey reported that they had had sexual relations with a professor. Think it doesn’t happen at UT?

I want to make it clear that I am not a prude. What consenting adults do behind closed doors is their own business. I am a bit offended, however, when university faculty members, who are supposed to be professionals, behave in such ways. Call me old school, but shouldn’t professors be role models? Some of my greatest heroes are college professors; in fact my mother is one. Obviously, most professors are abhorred by actions such as these, but a vocal minority are not. Instead, they defend and even encourage them.

When Kansas University fell under investigation by the state legislature for using tax dollars to fund classes dedicated to porn, 37 associate deans rushed to the defense of the professor in question. One would think that these deans would be interested in upholding the academic integrity of the university, and would want the professor responsible fired more than anyone. Apparently not. Maybe they are just a little kinky. Or maybe they just don’t care that the taxpayers don’t like having their money spent on items they find immoral.

Young women at universities are often out on their own for the first time, and sometimes are naïve. They are often vulnerable to charming and charismatic professors, and easily taken advantage of. Most professors would never dream of taking advantage, but as in all professions, there are a few bad apples that do. It is our responsibility as decent people to weed out these sick and twisted individuals before they do any irreversible damage to unsuspecting victims.

John Brown (www.johnnorrisbrown.com) is a senior in political science and history at the University of Tennessee @ Knoxville. Contact him at johnnyb325@aol.com. This column originally appeared in the October 12, 2004 edition of The Daily Beacon entitled "Academic sex relations questioned," available here.