Banned from campus: Marquette University associate professor "relieved of his teaching duties"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A Marquette University associate professor has been "relieved from his teaching duties" and asked to stay off campus. This, after blogging about an incident between another instructor and student in November.

The man at the center of it all -- Professor John McAdams. He recently wrote in his Marquette Warrior blog that philosophy instruct Cheryl Abbate told a student he could not argue against gay marriage in her class. Her comments led to protests by Westboro Baptist Church at Marquette University.

"For the past ten years, I've been free to criticize Marquette and things that happen at Marquette, sometimes the Marquette facility," said McAdams.

But then Tuesday night, December 16th, McAdams received a letter from the dean.

"I got a letter saying I was under investigation, and that I was banned from campus," said McAdams.

McAdams says what he didn't get was an explanation from the university as to what he is actually accused of. Instead, the university released a statement. It reads as follows:

McAdams isn't a stranger to being under his university's microscope. He says he was accused of sexual harassment several years ago after a statement he made in his class. But even then, McAdams says he was never asked to stop teaching or leave campus.

"I don't know what the point of that is. It's as though I was suspected of terrorist activity or something. what in the world is going on there I don't know," said McAdams.

McAdams tells FOX6 News he is not worried about losing his job which he has had for more than 35 years. But he says he does have a lawyer on standby just in case it comes to that.