For 17 years Michael Schaffer taught GW students all the touchy details of human sexuality. It was his honesty that endeared him to hundreds of students, but that same candidness may have cost him his job.
In his time at GW, Schaffer taught more than 4,500 students in a class that is usually filled five minutes after course registration begins. But in July Schaffer was dismissed from GW, two months after a female student threatened in a spring 2005 course evaluation to file a sexual harassment suit against the now-former professor.
In her evaluation, which Schaffer provided to The Hatchet, the woman claimed that Schaffer "does not teach, but reads extremely sexual student responses (to take-home papers), repeatedly hands out condoms, (and) shows naked pictures and videos." She criticized a class discussion on pubic hair, and went on to say that Schaffer should be fired from the school.
Schaffer, who describes himself as a "popular" teacher, said the department of exercise science hasn't given him the opportunity to defend himself against the allegations.
"Never before have I had a student that was so unhappy with my teaching," Schaffer said. "The overwhelming comments on my evaluations were 'this is the best course I've ever had.'"
Schaffer said Patricia Sullivan, acting chair of the exercise science department, told him that he was not fired; rather, the department declined to renew his contract. But Schaffer also said that when asked why his contract was not renewed, Sullivan replied, "check your student evaluations."
Schaffer said that after he visited with Sullivan to go over his spring 2005 evaluations, the majority of which he called "glowing," Sullivan told him that his contract was not renewed because "the department is going in a different direction, and may even drop the course entirely." But the School of Public Health and Health Services still offers three sections of the Human Sexuality course that Schaffer introduced to GW 15 years ago. Linda Campanelli, who teaches two sections of the class, said she had no knowledge of why Schaffer was fired. Tracy Schario, GW's director of media relations, would not comment on the situation.
In his time at GW, Schaffer taught more than 4,500 students in a class that is usually filled five minutes after course registration begins. But in July Schaffer was dismissed from GW, two months after a female student threatened in a spring 2005 course evaluation to file a sexual harassment suit against the now-former professor.
In her evaluation, which Schaffer provided to The Hatchet, the woman claimed that Schaffer "does not teach, but reads extremely sexual student responses (to take-home papers), repeatedly hands out condoms, (and) shows naked pictures and videos." She criticized a class discussion on pubic hair, and went on to say that Schaffer should be fired from the school.
Schaffer, who describes himself as a "popular" teacher, said the department of exercise science hasn't given him the opportunity to defend himself against the allegations.
"Never before have I had a student that was so unhappy with my teaching," Schaffer said. "The overwhelming comments on my evaluations were 'this is the best course I've ever had.'"
Schaffer said Patricia Sullivan, acting chair of the exercise science department, told him that he was not fired; rather, the department declined to renew his contract. But Schaffer also said that when asked why his contract was not renewed, Sullivan replied, "check your student evaluations."
Schaffer said that after he visited with Sullivan to go over his spring 2005 evaluations, the majority of which he called "glowing," Sullivan told him that his contract was not renewed because "the department is going in a different direction, and may even drop the course entirely." But the School of Public Health and Health Services still offers three sections of the Human Sexuality course that Schaffer introduced to GW 15 years ago. Linda Campanelli, who teaches two sections of the class, said she had no knowledge of why Schaffer was fired. Tracy Schario, GW's director of media relations, would not comment on the situation.
