Astronomy Professor Expelled! For His Beliefs

The Astronomy Department Chair at the University of Kentucky hailed Dr. C. Martin Gaskell as “clearly the most experienced” applicant in a search for the new director of the MacAdam Student Observatory. The head of the search committee said that Gaskell already had experience in everything such a position would require. Nonetheless, he was not hired (Article). Why not?

According to emails circulated by search committee members, in 1997 Dr. Gaskell gave a lecture where he made comments about the theory of evolution. Moreover, his personal website contains an article on “Modern Astronomy, the Bible, and Creation.” On this basis, biologists at the university threatened that they would not work with the physics and astronomy department if Gaskell was hired. After university officials expressed concern about Dr. Gaskell’s religious views and a committee member said that he was concerned about what Gaskell might do when “let out in public,” it was decided to hire someone else.

Does this remind you of anyone? How about Guillermo Gonzalez, a top-notch astronomer denied tenure by Iowa State University because of his views on Intelligent Design (ID)? Or Richard Sternberg, hounded out of the Smithsonian for allowing a paper by an ID advocate to be published? Or Caroline Crocker?

It is time for a change. Scientists and professors should be hired and keep their jobs based on their performance, not their views. According to a US House Subcommittee report from December 2006, “NMNH officials have made clear their intent to prevent any scientist publicly skeptical of Darwinian theory from ever being appointed as a Research Associate, no matter how sterling his or her professional credentials or research.” This should not be, and is one of the issues that, with your help, AITSE is addressing.