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St Joseph's sacks gay rights professor, homophobia alleged

  • Ashley Tellis, the associate professor of English department of St Joseph’s College (Autonomous), is also a gay right activist.
  • He was asked to leave allegedly for his various activists, which clashed with the management. 
  • The professor has made lengthy allegations on Facebook, including homophobia by the college.
  • Previously in 2010, also he was sacked for IIT Hyderabad without giving him any reason.
College in Bengaluru sacks gay right activist professor

The St Joseph’s College (Autonomous) of Bengaluru has terminated an associate professor and gay right activist Ashley Tellis under the pretext that his teaching methods include questioning ‘autocratic practices’ of the management of this prestigious college. 

 

Tellis has over 12 years of experience as a teacher in India as well as in abroad and was working as the associate professor in the English department of the college. 

 

The professor alleged that he was told by the college principal that “Students are disturbed by your personal opinions. The management has got to know of these opinions. I have been asked to relieve you with immediate effect.” 

 

“You were hired to teach English Literature. Not to give your personal opinions. Please sign these letters. Leave the college with immediate effect. No need to take any more classes. We will manage,” he added. 

 

The professor has also been quoted by The Hindu as saying that his sexual orientation (he is openly gay) could “partly be among the reasons that led the college to take this step”.

 

However, the same report stated that the college principal denied this allegation and said that due to the violation of the institute’s norms, the professor had been asked to leave. 

 

“This is the network of family, school, college and institutions in general that stymie the growth of young minds. This is the Taliban with a liberal face,” Tellis said. 

 

Previously, in 2010 Tellis was asked to leave from Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad and through an RTI, he was informed that he was told to leave the institution due to ‘negative student evaluations’.

 

About the recent sacking he said “As for me, this is not a new story. This is not the first time this has happened to me, and it will not be the last. But, unlike the students, I have not, am not and will not take it lying down.”

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