ODU professor placed on leave amid uproar over research into 'minor-attracted persons'

Old Dominion University has put a professor on leave amid controversy over their research into adults who are sexually attracted to minors, saying it had put campus safety at risk. The public university was facing a firestorm over Professor Allyn Walker's use of the term "minor-attracted people" and whether that language and approach destigmatizes sex offenders. Students protested on the Norfolk campus Tuesday, outrage spread on social media and an online petition to remove Walker had garnered thousands of signatures within days. [...]

"The idea that I'm somehow condoning child sexual abuse is absolutely outrageous," Walker said. "I really think it's a coordinated effort about attacking the LGBTQ community" and academic freedom.

source: Article < ODU professor placed on leave amid uproar over research into 'minor-attracted persons' > by Susan Svrluga; www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/11/17/old-dominion-professor-allyn-walker/; The Washington Post; 18 November 2021