Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Prof Fired For Remarks About Bible Story and Reaction to Student Debate

An adjunct professor at Southwestern Community College in Red Oak, Iowa claims he was terminated last Thursday because of remarks he made about the Bible in class two days earlier. According to the AP, Steve Bitterman says he was fired because he told students that the Biblical story of Adam and Eve is a fairy tale and should not be interpreted literally. However students say they complained as much about his brash style. One student left class crying after Bitterman, in the heat of the debate on the Bible, told her to "pop a Prozac." That student, Kristen Fry, said: "I talked to a lawyer and was told that what he was doing was illegal. He was not allowed to be derogatory toward me for being a Christian. I told my adviser I would sue if I had to." [Thanks to Matthew Caplan for the lead.]