The other day, news broke about what will likely be a landmark case on academic freedom and religious discrimination in hiring university faculty. Dr. Martin Gaskell, a noted astronomer and an evangelical Christian, was the leading candidate for a position directing a new student observatory at the University of Kentucky, one for which he was uniquely qualified by his past experience…until one of the search committee found an essay online where Dr. Gaskell discusses science and the Bible. At that point, the information was passed around the committee and the department, with a flurry of emails. Dr. Gaskell then was passed over for the job and it was given to someone with vastly less experience.
It is critical that we as Christian faculty are aware of such cases, that we pray for them and that we are on watch for similar situations in our own universities so we can remind folks that this is illegal discrimination. I will keep the blog up to date on the progress of the case. For more information on the specifics, please follow these links:
The decision to hear the case:
The press release by Gaskell’s legal team:
The offending online essay:
Please remember Dr. Gaskell and his family (and his legal team!) in your prayers.
SDG
