Texas professors sue to fail students who seek abortions

[marmar]

Texas professors sue to fail students who seek abortions
Men are using abortion bans to control and abuse women in their lives for "consensual sexual intercourse"

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED JUNE 3, 2024 5:45AM (EDT)


(Salon) A pair of Texas professors figured out that their female students have sex and, boy, they do not like it. So now the philosophy professor and finance professor are suing for the right to punish their students who, outside of class, have abortions.

"Pregnancy is not a disease, and elective abortions are not 'health care,'" University of Texas at Austin professor Daniel Bonevac sneers in a federal court filing with professor John Hatfield. Instead, Bonevac writes, because pregnancy is the result of "voluntary and consensual sexual intercourse," students should not be allowed time off to get abortions. If the students disobey and miss class for abortion care, the filing continues, the professors should be allowed to flunk students. Additionally, Bonevac asserts that he has a right to refuse to employ a teaching assistant who has had an abortion, calling such women "criminals."

....(snip)....

Even though the plaintiffs suing for the right to flunk female students for abortion include boilerplate arguments in which they feign concern that abortion is "killing," the legal filing makes it clear that what really outrages Bonevac and Hatfield is that Title IX prevents them from controlling the private lives of students. Along with their anger about abortion, they grouse about not being allowed to punish students "for being homosexual or transgender." They also argue they should be able to penalize teaching assistants for "cross-dressing," by which they appear to mean allowing trans women to wear skirts.

....(snip)....

Even though Bonevac and Hatfield work in Austin, Texas, they filed their lawsuit 486 miles away in Amarillo, Texas. The reason for this is not mysterious: Donald Trump-appointed judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. The right-wing judge has a long and frankly unhinged history of screeching at top volume about the evils of "sexual revolutionaries." (Yes, that does sound like a compliment, but he doesn't mean it as such.) It takes very little to draw Kacsmaryk's sexualized condemnation. Premarital sex, for instance, makes one a "sexual revolutionary." Using contraception within marriage also makes one an irredeemable pervert. In his legal writings, Kacsmaryk is very clear that sex is only for procreation within marriage, and anything outside of that should draw legal sanction. He has not weighed in on whether there should be restrictions on what sexual positions are legally permissible within the procreation-only marital sex, but give him time. ..................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/06/03/texas-professors-to-fail-students-seek-abortions/

[Liberal In Texas]

1. Holy crap there are some crazy nutjobs in this state.

And in Austin, no less.

[poozwah]

44. wtf

maga cum lousy?

[DemocraticPatriot]

46. You mean "Magna Cum Lousy"...

Oh wait, I see what you did there.... jajajajaja

[machoneman]

67. Wait! You just figured this out? Whoo-boy, look around Texass and you'll see even worse.

[Liberal In Texas]

77. Why would you think I was just figuring it out?

Also, Texas doesn't have a monopoly on RWNJs
I'll bet whatever state you're in has it's share too.
Our biggest problem is getting people to vote. And the oligarchs funding the propaganda.

[ananda]

69. We do have a few bad apples at UT.

There is a law professor there who got caught, with his
world champion wife... cheating at bridge.

Banned from ACBL for ten years and lost all their points
and rank.

[central scrutinizer]

84. I played bridge yesterday

I bid 34 No Trump

[ananda]

89. And I will double that bid!

!!!

[Lovie777]

2. It's time to leave Texas.......................

never go there for school. I see all of the punishments are gear towards women.

[CrispyQ]

8. It's okay for young men to go out & sow their oats prior to marriage, in fact they're encouraged to do so.

So who exactly are they supposed to sow oats with if all the young women must remain virgins until marriage? Prostitutes? Other young men?

[MagickMuffin]

81. How about the professors wives?

The young lads can learn one way to have sex. Man on top, only,

[CrispyQ]

83. I literally LOLd!

[CTyankee]

35. YES! I left Texas when I went away to college and never returned (to live; I visited family). I married right out of

college and lived in New York.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Of course the men who impregnate women have no punishment.

Men are half the reproductive equation and are immune from consequences.

[lindysalsagal]

4. It's so easy to blame tscf, but he just reveals the wider hatred of

Women in red states. These cavemen are enjoying their brief moment of misogyny. They're feeling empowered to control half the population.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. The war on women continues with these wackos. Unbelievable.

They should be forced to resign.

How would they find out if one of their students had an abortion, anyway?

[CincyDem]

6. This should be on every site that reviews colleges for prospective students.

Iirc there’s a site that rates and ranks schools for social life…and this lawsuit should put UT low on the list, that’s for sure.

[Fla Dem]

7. How would these professors even know if a women's absence from class is because of an abortion?

Do the female students now have to report their reason for their absences?

IT IS NONE OF THE COLLEGES BUSINESS!

Both of these "professors" should be terminated, or if under contract, not have their contracts renewed.

[vankuria]

10. I was wondering the same

Do they have to bring a note to class on why they were absent or worse yet bring their private medical records to class for their professor to read? And what about the guy that impregnated them, does he get an “F” too?

[TSExile]

19. Oh, not the guy.

Never the guy!!! God forbid men actually face the same standards for the same situation as women.

[Ms. Toad]

38. That is pretty common.

Unexcused absences from my class lowered a student's grade. Health care was an excused absence (so no impact). Three unexcused absences gave me the discretion to have the student removed from my class with an F. I didn't require a doctor's note, nor did I ask for details as to what the health care need was, But I would have been permitted to require documentation signed by medical personnel.

[Elessar Zappa]

54. I haven't had a professor that specifically counts absences.

Usually, we received the syllable and were responsible for getting the work done and coming to the tests (which did require an excused absence if missed). Most of the profs would post notes of their lecture online.

[Ms. Toad]

63. Not every professor pays attention.

In 3 degrees, currently working on a 4th, I'm pretty sure I've never had a professor without an attendance policy. In each of the classes I am currently taking (5 so far) the rule is that the 4th unexcused absence = failure. Not all have enforced it, but attendance was at least formally required. I didn't have the syllabi for the classes from my earlier degrees, so I can't confirm my memory.

In law school, where I've gone through the accreditation process, if professors aren't requiring attendance it is a basis for yanking accreditation. I suspect it is also an accreditation issue for art schools, as well, but I'll know more next spring when my school goes through it's accreditation review.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

18. A student might overshare about themselves, or someone tattles.

[Fla Dem]

22. Yes I guess, if it's a right wing nut that found out,

They would think they're doing their patriotic duty to tattle.

If the woman is at all knowledgeable, she'd be plenty aware of the anti-abortion climate in Texas and not confide in anyone but family. She would have to travel out of state so that might cause some suspicion among her acquaintances. But what get me is that any of them would rat her out to the 2 douchebag professors.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

23. The ratter wouldn't have to be a "right wing nut" or feel a "patriotic duty." It's not that deep.

College students are chaos goblins in a lot of ways. People like to feel helpful. It's also a great revenge opportunity, or just a chance to cause trouble.

[Fla Dem]

71. That's sad to think that someone would be that cruel, just because they can.

[Skittles]

87. THANK YOU

who does that?

[dlk]

9. It's none of their business

These obscene professors need to remove their noses from their student’s genitals and reproductive organs. This is perverted beyond belief!

[Skittles]

93. how does it even become their business?

how are they aware of the personal lives of female students?

[dlk]

94. Privacy is a thing of the past, I'm afraid

It’s a brave new world.

[Skittles]

95. meaning what

are these gals posting about it on social media?

[FHRRK]

11. Same as it ever was...

If I owned Hell and Texas, I’d rent out Texas and live in Hell.
Would you please explore the provenance of this joke?

Quote Investigator: Philip Sheridan was a General in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War. In February 1866 a newspaper in Mobile, Alabama reported on a remark he made about Texas. The word “hell” was sanitized via the omission of two letters to yield “h—l” which fit contemporary sensibilities.

[dalton99a]

12. Annoying but dangerous woman-hating nut jobs

[Vogon_Glory]

32. Philosophy, hunh, Professor?

Not biology, not pre-med? And how did you find about your students’ medical condition? Somebody’s data base?

Sounds to me like there was either a tremendous breach of privacy somewhere or you want to flunk her on the basis of rumor or innuendo.

Personally, I hope that female patients who go to Planned Parenthood or other clinics for cancer tests or health check-ups and then get accused of having abortions turn around and sue the data collectors or people who use their (often inaccurate or corrupt) information and sue their accusers within an inch of their lives.

[cab67]

50. Unless he's advocating principles, he misspelled "Principal"

[niyad]

62. geez, cannot even spell, but wants to control and punish women.

[mountain grammy]

13. There are some real sickos in Texas

and everywhere, but Texas is striving to lead the nation in abusing women, and this is abuse.

[jimfields33]

24. Sickos are in every state. Yep even in Massachusetts

which is one of the most liberal states.

[mountain grammy]

27. yes, even in Colorado

but in Texas they have the full support of the governor and most of the state government. Women are in real danger there, in my opinion, and with Abbott pardoning murderers, it just got more dangerous.

[jimfields33]

34. You definitely made valid points about Texas.

[AZLD4Candidate]

14. where is the standing here?

[SARose]

15. Test lawsuit pffftt

Title IX Support UT Austin

1. Another “test” lawsuit; note the grinning little weasel’s pic in front of the Tower;

2. Faculty do not decide who does/does not receive an excused absence;

3. TA’s and instructors have rights, too.

4. Filed in Kacsmaryk‘s court in Amarillo.

I would love to be a fly on the wall in the Office of the Dean of Students. 😂

Ditto for the UT System Legal Department. 😉

Tempest in a teapot.

[TSExile]

16. Whatever happened to the right to privacy???

The last place I want the government - or college - is in my bedroom.

[Wednesdays]

74. That bit the dust with Dobbs.

The Supreme Court: there is no Constitutional right to privacy.

[Renew Deal]

17. They should put that satement in their recruiting pitch

[Model35mech]

86. UT claims to not do background checks on students, and opposes doing so

as it would likely trip more students of color (I'm not sure if that by itself is a stereotype, or evidence based)

BUT UT does not hire employees (including faculty) who have been convicted of felonies within the 7 years previous to their application.

I wonder if -THAT- hiring practice, undoubtedly known to faculty, is why the two profs chose to push this button.

[Johonny]

20. Would the professor that impregnated the student

Last edited Mon Jun 3, 2024, 10:50 AM - Edit history (1)

Be fired? I mean, other students that impregnated as there is no way these professors have ever bonked their students. No way . . .

Dudes gave their whole game away.

[Big Blue Marble]

21. Why are professors openly stating anti-women, anti-gay, and anti-trans opinions

not being fired immediately? Why is federal monies not be held back until
they are fired? If charges of anti-semitism, true or false, get you fired why
do not these openly stated biases cause the same reaction?

[ExciteBike66]

25. If a student goes rock climbing and gets injured, they should be denied time of as well

I mean, rock climbing is a choice.

[NoMoreRepugs]

26. Thinking maybe these two slackjaws don't get laid very often.

[Traurigkeit]

29. If ever

[Attilatheblond]

97. And maybe annoyed they can't get away bartering good grades for sex anymore. n/t

[Traurigkeit]

28. Matthew Kacsmaryk is still processing air ?

[malaise]

30. Effin madness

These people are sick and criminal

[UncleTomsEvilBrother]

31. Hear me out...

...I have a problem with us always saying these republican lawmakers are "wackos" and that they are "crazy." Those descriptions take away from the fact that they are hateful and toxic people.

Often, these politicians are smart (heck, these two are professors), they just have a diabolical plan to unleash control. They are not crazy at all. They are politicians. They vote. They are hateful, toxic, and harmful people.

[harumph]

39. Spot on - b/c simply saying they're 'wacko" reduces their culpability.

[flying_wahini]

33. I have an archaic idea they may go for;

Let’s make it mandatory full surgical castration for rapists and just chemical castration for men who get women pregnant. Especially if the men aren’t married. Let’s teach those horny men a lesson that they will remember, right?

Don’t know why men wouldn’t go along with it. I mean they ARE Christians, right?

[Glaisne]

36. How much do you wanna bet Kacsmaryk

is a hypocrite? Let's look into his private life and see what perversions lurk there. Same for those two 'professors', they're a disgrace to academia.

[Joinfortmill]

37. They woke the sleeping giant, again...

See you at the polls.

[Glaisne]

40. Can we return Texas to Mexico?

Asking for a friend.

[Gruenemann]

70. I would love to see Texas returned to Mexico,

And I live there

[Ping Tung]

41. Are these two jerks planning to start a chastitiy belt business?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

42. We desperately need to de-fang the Subversive Court.

[Texin]

43. I'm ashamed to have been born, raised and still live in this unspeakably godforsaken state.

The men (primarily) of this state are on a continuous race to the bottom of the swirling toilet bowl. I've warned my stepson and his wife to be extremely cautious about coming here when she was pregnant (about two years ago) after the draconian anti-abortion legislation was enacted, because god help her if she had had any kind of catastrophic health issue during the later term of her pregnancy, they would've been shit out of luck. I cannot believe how we've landed in this place.

[TeamProg]

45. And the profs can't be fired for this attempt? nt

[cab67]

51. probably not, but...

...there might be consequences for the assertion that pregnancy always arises from "voluntary and consensual" behavior, which is flagrantly wrong.

[bucolic_frolic]

47. They should build a Texas Monastery for these medieval throwbacks

[Botany]

48. And when will Professors Bonevac and Hatfield need to get an abortion?

They need to mind their own business. And BTW I am willing to bet both professors are
being well compensated to bring their law suits. U.T @ Austin needs to fire those shits
right now because a student’s grade should be based on his or hers course and class work
and not for what they do In their private lives.

[cab67]

49. Makes me ashamed to be a UT-Austin alum.

[Botany]

56. The administration @ U.T. Austin needs to fire their asses now.

Btw U.T. Austin has always been known as a good school and I have known
a few of the faculty and students from there and they were stand up people.

[cab67]

59. Not sure they can.

What they did was every shade of wrong except illegal, so far as I can tell.

There might be consequences (e.g. modification of teaching load, ability to advise grad students, etc.), but this would be for the protection of others as much as admonishment for bigotry. If was their department chair, I'd do whatever I could to make sure women and LGBTQ students are never forced to be in their presence, for example. I would also investigate their grading practices throughout his career to look for what an administrator would euphemistically call "irregularities," which could bring further sanction.

But outright firing them is probably not an option.

That said, Bonevac got his PhD in 1980, so he'd be close to retirement as it is. Not sure about the other one.

[PlutosHeart]

65. If they have Union representation

they most likely cannot be fired at least easily anyways.
I am just stunned that they are acting what seems independently from the school that they represent. Usually they are held to some standards. Holy cow.

[Gruenemann]

72. Unions in Texas?

Not bloody likely.

[PlutosHeart]

88. I digress.

Thank you.

[Botany]

73. Grades should be based on a student's work in the class, lab, writings, and or research not ..

…. what an instructor or professor thinks about their PRIVATE LIVES. This crosses some
different lines as per professional and academic integrity and although I might be wrong
for the 1st time in my life I think that the professors might be getting some right wing
money to carry their water as per abortion.

Btw as a dull old straight man where the hell do those men get off on telling a woman
what they can and can’t do about with their own bodies?

[Mblaze]

52. "Pregnancy is not a disease, and elective abortions are not 'health care,'"

Another example of the "my way or the highway" attitude that finally drove my dear departed father to shouting at me that. "There is no such thing as the color gray; it's either black or white".

I reminded him that Ansel Adams made his successful career on what he called "the Gray Scale" showing that not only does the color gray exist, but there is a wide scale of gray-tones that he could work with.

"There is more on heaven and Earth, Horatio, than is dreamt of in your philosophy".

[ilovegamers43]

53. I feel for woman on this one

The abortion issue hurts to watch

[appleannie1]

55. The only way it is their business is if they are the father and plan on raising the child.

Other than that, they can kiss off.

[flying_wahini]

57. Check out this RW site about him... he's slime.

https://we.riseup.net/asdatut/daniel-a-bonevac

Daniel A. Bonevac is a UT philosophy professor who supports Trump and publicly espouses reactionary beliefs. In October 2016, Bonevac was one of 146 scholars nationwide who jointly declared their support for Donald Trump as president in a public statement.

Bonevac is open about his traditionally conservative political views, which include patriarchal, imperialist, capitalist, and racist attitudes as well as a deep disdain for “the progressive worldview.” He claims to keep political bias out of the classroom, but we know this isn’t possible, and the oppressions he upholds will inevitably be perpetuated through his teaching. Anyone who believes a fascist like Trump would make a good president must be okay with, if not in support of, misogyny, racism, abuse, rape culture, ableism, and other oppressive behaviors and beliefs which directly harm UT students. The harmful views of reactionaries such as Bonevac on campus both enable and indirectly encourage violence against marginalized students, creating an unsafe university environment.

Administrative response: The university has not made any response or taken any action.

[perdita9]

58. Just another reason for sane people to leave Texas

I taught at the college level for 15 years. I didn't care why students had to take time off as long as they notified me and we agreed to a schedule for them to make up the work.

Their medical issues were none of my business. I certainly would never have asked about what procedure they were getting.

[niyad]

60. May they, and their enablers, receive everything they deserve.

[DemocraticPatriot]

61. Texas professors who seek to register to vote as Republicans

ought to be "sued"----

and by "sued", I don't actually mean 'sued' within a court of law,

but out in the Texas desert of 'the court of public opinion'.....



There used to be a saying in Texas---
I can't remember what it was specifically at this moment.... lol

[Deep State Witch]

64. I have an ENBY Friend At UT-Austin

They're in the doctorate program there. I worry for them.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

66. Are they not aware that every single abortion

is because a man got a woman pregnant? Women don't magically get pregnant on their own, which is what people like this seem to think.

[Old Crank]

68. When will they mandate

That all males turn in their DNA for matches to pregnancies and have to pay full support until the child is 18 or 23?

[Wednesdays]

75. I have the feeling they may be unpleasantly surprised come November 5th

GOTV. Just GOTV.

See my sig line.

[duncang]

76. Natural progression

From Texas’s abortion bounty hunter law. The mob mentality of the gop. I will control your life. You don’t do something I don’t like and I will get you. A new take on the Bible. Vengeance is mine say the gop.

[Initech]

78. MAGA Christianity is akin to the Taliban these days.

The cruelty of the pro life death cult is the point, and it knows no boundaries.

[LeftInTX]

79. They are suing to block Biden's Title IX rules, which go into effect in August. It's a future tense lawsuit

State of Texas is also a plaintiff.

UT professors sue Biden administration over new Title IX abortion, gender identity rules


Two University of Texas professors are challenging President Joe Biden's administration over new rules it issued prohibiting discrimination against transgender and nonbinary students as well as students who seek abortions.

Now plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit, UT professors Daniel A. Bonevac and John Hatfield, in near-identical declarations filed May 13, say they will not excuse class absences for students who get elective abortions and will not honor requests to refer to students by the pronoun "they," often used as a singular pronoun by nonbinary people.

The professors' lawsuit claims the U.S. Department of Education overstepped its authority when it issued new regulations forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics or pregnancy status. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the suit in early May.

The rules at issue, released April 19 and set to go into effect Aug. 1, expand the interpretation of Title IX — the 1972 federal statute that forbids gender-based discrimination in all federally funded education programs, including athletic programs — to also protect against unequal treatment of students who become pregnant, terminate a pregnancy or are recovering from pregnancy, and "strengthen requirements that schools provide reasonable modifications for students based on pregnancy or related conditions."

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/06/03/ut-austin-professors-sue-biden-over-abortions-lgbtq-rules-texas/73913404007/

____

The Salon title makes it sound like there are named students who the profs are planning to fail. However, they are seeking to block new rules because they say the conflict with Texas laws. I hope they don't win because the entire thing is frivilious. However, there is a chance they will. With regards to abortion, they do not want to allow an excused absence. So, if someone presents an excuse from a doctor stating they had an abortion, they do not want to excuse the absence. However, they are not currently failing students who "they heard through the grapevine" that they go an abortion.

[spanone]

80. Educated professors acting like ignorant maga piss ants.

[Sky Jewels]

82. What the ever loving fuck?!

I am going to sue for the right to have these asswipes involuntarily castrated, sans anesthesia. I mean, apparently it's a free for all in Texas in terms of how people are empowered to control the lives and bodies of others, so I should be allowed to whack off their junk with a machete, right?

(Please don't tell me I need to add: /s ... )

[TSExile]

85. It's infuriating...and unfair.

Women and girls can't get pregnant all by themselves. Why not regulate the men, too? Of course not...men are special.

[Sky Jewels]

96. Yes, because the stupid Bronze Age stories made up by males

have only men in the magical/starring roles, like God/Yahweh, Jesus, Moses, etc. What a coincidence that a patriarchal society made up patriarchal stories that cast women as "the lessers." And we're still suffering to this day because of these dumbass religions.

[LAS14]

90. So absurd!!! Since when do professors grade on anything but academic performance?????? nt

[SupportSanity]

91. Part of the autocrat playbook. Destroy trusted institutions, like places of education. Educated

people just get in the way. They are opinionated. They don't just follow like they should.

Any way to acomplish the goal of destroying educational institutions is automatically pre-approved.

[Hassler]

92. When incels have advanced degrees