Dartmouth College’s new president on Wednesday rescinded a job offer to an African bishop who was to have been dean of the institution’s Tucker Foundation, which promotes ethical leadership, spiritual development and social justice at the college. The appointment of James Tengatenga, a bishop of the Anglican church in Malawi, as dean set off a debate on campus and beyond because of his past anti-gay statements.
Philip J. Hanlon, the president, met with Tengatenga and announced that the college was taking back the job offer. In a statement, Hanlon said that there was much to praise in Tengatenga’s “inspiring life of service.”
Hanlon added: “However, following much reflection and consultation with senior leaders at Dartmouth, it has become clear to me that Dr. Tengatenga’s past comments about homosexuality and the uncertainty and controversy they created have compromised his ability to serve effectively as dean of Tucker. The foundation and Dartmouth’s commitment to inclusion are too important to be mired in discord over this appointment. Consequently, we have decided not to move forward with the appointment of Dr. Tengatenga as dean of the Tucker Foundation.”
The poor, poor guy. So much foolishness here. It seems the Search Committee were insufficiently aware of the fierce intolerance that now marks Dartmouth life. Did the job description not contain the seeming prescription that any successful candidate must be a same sex marriage activist? How was the Bishop persuaded to make a last minute affirmation of “marriage equality” when he must have known the effect it will have on his roles and relationships in Malawi?
The College has faced a few weeks embarrassment, a few letters from the university thought police and presumably a few sotto voce threats from donors. With, I presume, their encouragement, the Bishop has burned bridges to his homeland, stepped down from a lifetime of service, and found himself cast aside.
Somehow my mind turns to Ecclesiastes, “Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
I imagine one may want to refer the question, “How does my gay marriage affect you?” straight to Bishop Tengatenga.
Dartmouth is among the most intolerant and bigoted universities, which says a lot, in the country. As per normal when the term “inclusive” is used, it is actually code for conservatives and Christians need not apply. If memory has not failed me this was one of the first schools to make it a matter of policy that in any allegation of sexual assault by a female student against a male that a presumption of guilt was assigned to the male, until/unless proven innocent.
Bp. Tengatenga should consider that he has dodged a bullet, buy himself a beer and call it day.
The good news is that a gay activist African bishop has been now made well-known publicly, *plus* TEC doesn’t get to use him as a token at Dartmouth.
All in all, a good outcome.
Is it because he is black?
Dartmouth is not very inclusive it seems.