DURHAM, N.C. — A professor of Catholic theology at Duke University’s divinity school has reportedly resigned in the face of disciplinary action following comments about the value of diversity training.
The News & Observer reports another professor, Thomas Pfau, said Tuesday that 61-year-old Paul Griffiths resigned of his own volition, effective next year.
Griffiths responded in February to a faculty-wide email invitation to diversity training, urging faculty to not attend, describing such events as “definitively anti-intellectual.” A subsequent meeting with Duke Divinity School Dean Elaine never took place as the parties couldn’t agree on conditions. Griffiths later emailed colleagues that he was the target of two disciplinary hearings and had been banned from faculty meetings.
Duke spokeswoman Audrey Ward wouldn’t comment on a personnel matter.
