Education: Others Under Fire

Among faculty members engaged in battle with their universities:

THE AGNOSTIC—Augustine Caffrey, 48, former Jesuit priest. Fairfield University President William Mclnnes declared that a professor at the Catholic institution could not teach theology while questioning the faith. Fairfield’s board of trustees rebuffed Mclnnes and supported Caffrey, who is currently teaching Problems of Atheism.

THE DEMONSTRATOR—Political Scientist Michael Parenti, 36. The trustees of the University of Vermont canceled his contract “to protect the image of the university.” Their main criticism: Parenti’s conviction in Illinois, where he previously taught, for fighting with a policeman during riots after the Kent State killings. Despite strong support from students and faculty, Parenti will leave after this school year.

THE HUMORIST—Sociologist Lee Weiner, 32, member of the Chicago Seven. Weiner’s appointment to the Rutgers faculty was controversial from the start, but his real trouble apparently came from a birthday party for Black Panther Leader Bobby Scale. A New York Times reporter asked Weiner what he was doing nowadays, and he jokingly answered, “I’m trying to organize a new kind of Communist Party in New Jersey.” New Jersey legislators protested to Governor William Cahill. Weiner, anxious not to jeopardize his academic future, agreed to leave.