Controversy at Duquesne Law School

The Chronicle of Higher Education
January 29, 2007

Duquesne U. Ban on Politicians at Commencement Draws Protest Petition From Law Students

By KATHERINE MANGAN

Law students at Duquesne University were circulating a petition on Friday protesting a decision to bar two likely presidential candidates and a Pennsylvania congressman from speaking at the law school's commencement this spring.

The university's president, Charles J. Dougherty, said that three of the speakers whom the law dean, Donald J. Guter, had proposed inviting were inappropriate because their political views might offend people, and their beliefs might be at odds with the Roman Catholic Church's teachings.

In a letter to administrators of the Catholic university, Mr. Dougherty explained why he would not allow invitations to be sent to Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat; Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican; or Rep. John P. Murtha, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. The two senators are regarded as leading contenders for their party's presidential nominations in 2008, although neither has officially declared his candidacy. Mr. Murtha is a strong critic of the Iraq war.

"I had two reasons for disapproving the politicians," the president wrote. "First, I believe that a high-profile partisan political figure is inappropriate for a commencement speaker. Anyone of that description, including all three proposed, is sure to offend large numbers in the audience."

"Even if such a speaker steers clear of political content," Mr. Dougherty continued, "it makes a political statement that we provided them an occasion and a platform -- and one in which there is no possibility for dialogue or the expression of alternative points of view." He said the university had no objection to inviting politicians and policy makers to discuss controversial ideas in forums where different sides could be aired.

The second reason, he said, "is the likelihood that some or all of these politicians have taken public positions on issues in opposition to Catholic church teachings."

"I have not done the research on these individuals to know this is true," he said, "but this possibility is another good reason to avoid politicians as commencement speakers."

The president did approve of Mr. Guter's fourth candidate to speak: Alberto J. Mora, a former general counsel of the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Guter, who became the law dean in 2005 after a high-profile career in the Navy, said he was new to academe but found the president's objections puzzling.

"Each person I invited I felt we had a reasonable chance of getting because I had either worked with him or worked with someone who worked with him," the dean said on Friday. He said he had approached the offices of the four men and asked staff members if their bosses would be interested in speaking. In each case, the answer was either yes or maybe. Mr. Guter had not, however, extended a formal invitation to anyone.

"My intent was to go to the president and ask for blanket approval for all of them and see who could come," he said.

Last year the Duquesne administration did not oppose another politician Mr. Guter invited as graduation speaker: Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina. "I must have missed a meeting when the policy changed," Mr. Guter said.

He added that he felt the candidates' views on topics like abortion were "non-issues" because they would not be mentioned during a commencement speech.

"Besides," he said, "I don't think Senator Obama has done anything to promote abortion, but he has written about the need to do everything possible to reduce the need for a woman to have an abortion."

The petition being circulated on Friday called on the president to reconsider his decision.

Michael V. Quatrini, a third-year law student and president of the school's Student Bar Association, was among those who objected to Mr. Dougherty's stance.

"I find it ridiculous," Mr. Quatrini said. "Barack Obama wouldn't be there to discuss gay marriage or any social policy the Catholic church is for or against. Graduation speakers are there to give us guidance and inspiration, and it seems crazy to pass up the opportunity to have someone of their stature here."