July 7, 2008

The power of tenure

Tenured economics professor Ronald Ayers still has a job (for now) despite viewing porn in his office and sending e-mails like this one:
In one exchange, Ayers reports that a girl in his economics class comes from a broken home and wonders if she waits tables at a nude or topless bar on the weekends. He likes her “wide-eyed innocence” and “little girl set of mannerisms,” and the fact that she wears short shorts and low-cut tops to class.
Ayers calls her “totally dumb. That may explain her interest in me. Perhaps she has flirted her way through college to an A average,” according to a Feb. 16, 2005, e-mail.

“Let me find out her weaknesses, flatter her, and then dig out more info to use to my advantage later,” Ayers continued. “I make no predictions other than that I will get together with her. It's in the air.”
Um ewwwww. Ayers was fired last year, but a faculty tribunal actually ruled in his favor, overturning the president's decision.... so now it's up to the UT Board of Regents to make a final decision -- and they don't look like they care for porn.

And look!  He has a blogger profile with four abandoned economics blogs.  Maybe he will have more time to blog when his ass is finally out of a job.