Actually the male-banning isn't as extreme as it sounded from that article. When Daly arrived at the college in 1966 she taught *only* men. Women weren't admitted until 1970. Later on she decided feminist courses with men and women side by side had a weird dynamic. But she has nothing against teaching men on their own who are interested, and has taught dozens of men in independent studies since the inauguaration of the all-women classes.
I don't know any of this first hand, but drew it from the associated press article below, published yesterday.
Michael
College can fire professor who bars men from feminism courses
Copyright © 1999 Nando Media
Copyright © 1999 Associated Press
By ROBIN ESTRIN
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (May 25, 1999 10:40 a.m. EDT
http://www.nandotimes.com) - A Boston College professor who refused to
allow male students to take her classes on feminism remains out of a
job following a judge's ruling.
At issue in a Middlesex Superior Court hearing Monday was whether Mary
Daly's classes should be listed in next semester's course roster.
College officials had refused to include them - citing a school policy
of keeping all courses open to both men and women - and the judge said
the school was within its rights.
"A professor's defiance of that policy - in this case, a vehement and
very public defiance - would give the school ample grounds for her
termination," Judge Martha Sosman wrote in her decision.
Daly, 70, known for works including "Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of
Radical Feminism" and "Outercourse," claims the Jesuit-run school
pushed her out when threatened with a lawsuit by a male student. The
school says she retired when she was ordered to teach men.
When she first arrived at Boston College in 1966, Daly taught only
men. The school of arts and sciences didn't admit women until 1970.
Soon after, Daly said, she found that men and women in feminist
courses didn't mix. So she barred men from her seminars, although she
said she has taught some two dozen men in one-on-one seminars.
When men are in a class with women, she said Monday before her court
hearing began, "the dynamic is totally interrupted."
The litigation originated last fall, when senior Duane Naquin accused
the school of discrimination after being kept out of Daly's course on
introductory feminist ethics.
School officials demanded that Daly admit Naquin to her spring course.
Daly said she refused and took a leave of absence instead. The college
insists that Daly agreed to retire.
School officials say they can't allow her to continue teaching under
"separate but equal" courses, which they argue violate federal
anti-discrimination laws. They said they were pleased with Monday's
ruling.
"It seemed to be the logical course of action to take, given that
(Daly's) stated preference not to teach men is so clearly in violation
of federal law," said Jack Dunn, a college spokesman.
Daly said she believes she is not violating the law known as Title IX
of the Education Amendments of 1972. The law was designed to improve
the situation of women - which, she said, is what she's doing.
Gretchen Van Ness, Daly's attorney, said the college has used
"back-door tactics" to fire a tenured professor because she disagreed
with them. She also warned that the case could have sweeping
ramifications for academic freedom.
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__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com