Illinois university set to fire professor for God comment

Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian university outside of Chicago, said on Tuesday it was taking steps to fire a tenured political science professor after she wrote in a Facebook post that Muslims and Christians worship the same God.

Dr Larycia Hawkins wrote on the social media site on December 10 that she was donning the hijab head scarf during the period of advent before Christmas as a sign of solidarity with Muslims. In her post she said “we worship the same God”.

Dr Hawkins was placed on administrative leave after the comment drew criticism, and on Tuesday the school said in a statement that Wheaton’s provost had delivered a notice to president Philip Ryken recommending her employment be terminated.

“This notice follows the impasse reached by the parties,” the statement said. “Dr Hawkins declined to participate in further dialogue about the theological implications of her public statements,” it said.

The school has said that Dr Hawkins was not placed on leave because she wore a hijab, but because her “theological statements seem inconsistent with Wheaton College’s doctrinal convictions”.Dr Hawkins could not immediately be reached for comment.