"Conservative coming out" email prompts expletive from Iowa professor

Ellen Lewin

/ University of Iowa

An anthropology and gender studies professor at the University of Iowa responded with an expletive to a mass email from a college Republican group promoting "Conservative Coming Out Week," prompting a campus controversy.

As the Press-Citizen and Des Moines Register report, professor Ellen Lewin responded to the email by writing "F*** YOU, REPUBLICANS" from her university email account.

The response prompted demands for an apology from Republicans at the school, with one complaining that "Demonizing the other party through name-calling only further entrenches feelings of disdain for the other side. I am sure you understand that nothing is ever accomplished by aimless screams of attack."

In a follow up email to the college Republicans, Lewin reportedly responded: "This is a time when political passions are inflamed, and when I received your unsolicited email, I had just finished reading some newspaper accounts of fresh outrages committed by Republicans in government. I admit the language was inappropriate, and apologize for any affront to anyone's delicate sensibilities. I would really appreciate your not sending blanket emails to everyone on campus, especially in these difficult times."

Lewin also said she had been offended by several "extremely offensive" things in the email, including an invitation to an "Animal Rights BBQ," disdainful references to the Wisconsin protests and the fact that College Republicans were "appropriating the language of the LGBT right movement."

In response to the exchange, Sally Mason, the university's president, wrote that "Even if we personally disagree with [opposing] viewpoints, we must be respectful of those viewpoints in every way. Intolerant and disrespectful discord is not acceptable behavior."

In an email to the Register, Lewin said she had offered an apology to the college Republican group - and that it was sincere.

"I hope those apologies and my commitment to not repeat such behavior can put the matter to rest," she said.

[TalkingWith]

Here's an interview with University of Iowa Professors Timothy Hagle and Kembrew McLeod, Matt Sowada, the conservative co-host of the political talk radio show American Reason on KRUI, and Rod Sullivan from the Johnson County Board of Supervisors about Professor Ellen Lewin's "F- You, Republicans!" email response to the University of Iowa College Republicans campus-wide invite for people to participate in "Conservative Coming Out Week."


http://patv.tv/blog/2011/04/27/talking-with-yale-cohn-discussing-professor-ellen-lewins-f-you-email-response-to-the-university-of-iowa-college-republicans/

[Unsilent_Majority]

You gotta admit, an "Animal Rights BBQ" is pretty funny.

[simpleconservative]

She is just another good hearted sweetness and light liberal with a bad temper. I call them the ILLiberal left as a group and as to civility, they have none!

[bshannonc]

In response to Lewin, I would have liked to attend a college campus that didn't shove liberal propaganda down my throat every day by almost EVERY SINGLE PROFESSOR I HAD!! The majority of University of Iowa professors set a very indimidating setting for any conservative that dares open their mouth. Lewin needs to control herself. I get angry every time I get e-mails from liberal organizations, but at least I can control myself from writing them nasty, tasteless e-mails.

[rwsmith29456]

She got too worked up and made a hasty reaction. She apologized and the news is over.

[adamh2o]

This was not spam as so many of you are calling it in an effort to justify her reaction. This was a campus group sending an invitation to students and staff to attend a campus event. According to university policy, all campus groups are allowed to do this, regardless of whether you disagree with them or not. Try knowing what you are talking about next time.

[abbe91]

Unsollicited bulk e-mail, aka spam.

[prof_robinson]

There was a time when gays were afraid to come out of the closet because of the verbal and physical abuse they might have endure at the hands of intellectual neandrathals and their bigoted, closed-minded, thinking. Good thing that's changed. And good thing we have Leftists and liberals to beat their chest and tell us how they are more caring and open-minded than everyone else; I don't know what we'd do without their acceptance as a model for the rest of us.

[abbe91]

Heard of "family values" ?

[abbe91]

It's not often that a liberal tries to be a model for the rest of us, if you except Edwards, of course :-)

[abbe91]

by karek40 April 21, 2011 9:57 AM EDT
There is a reason liberals return explicatives.

Yes, sure, democrats need to try to explain things, that's why they "return explicatives". Repubs, on the other hand, only return "expletives".

[Zann-Zel]

by porshetta April 20, 2011 7:17 PM EDT
If she's embarrassed, she should be. It's no wonder my generation doesn't have any manners with old crones like this carrying on and cursing about getting a spam email lol.
--------------
You blame this woman for "your generation" not having manners? You CHOOSE whether or not you want to "have manners". If you choose NOT to have manners don't blame it on someone else!

[Unsilent_Majority]

They're not ugly because they're libby progressive, they're a libby progressive because they're ugly.

[karek40]

There is a reason liberals return explicatives. Their basis for everything they do and say is emotionial not logical. They don't care if the nation is bankrupt. Raising taxes on the rich won't solve the problem. If you take 100% of the earnings of all those making over $250K the problem still exists. They divert attention from the issue to something else. They make personal attacks using explicatives.

[JV1970]

True! That just shows how juvenile they are! They are worse than a bunch of mean, haughty junior high girls!

[abbe91]

Yes, sure, democrats need to try to explain things, that's why they "return explicatives". Repubs, on the other hand only return "expletives".
And a teacher surely knows the difference. LOL.