Westenhoefer deemed “improper” for Carlow College stage

Responding to comic Suzanne Westenhoefer’s claim that the cancellation of her March 18 performance date at Pittsburgh’s Carlow College is due to her sexual orientation, Carlow College president Sister Grace Ann Geibel has replied with a faxed three-paragraph statement, reports Bill Schackner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Geibel states that although the institution values diversity and respect for others, Westenhoefer is not protected by the principles of academic freedom since the event “is not a matter of academic freedom, as neither our faculty nor our students were involved in the sponsorship of this event.” The president did not address precisely which aspects of Westenhoefer’s act she finds objectionable. The comic admits to being stunned and regards the whole affair as “a slap in my face.”