A science professor in California has
denied charges that he improperly presented anti-gay views as facts,
Fresno-based ABC30 reported.
The American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) has accused Professor Dr. Bradley Lopez of presenting
“religiously-based and anti-gay views as 'science' or 'fact'.”
On Thursday, the Fresno City College
health instructor denied the allegations.
“Everything I teach is within the
context of Health Science 1 on this campus,” Lopez told reporters.
Lopez is accused of giving lectures
where he taught that being gay is a “biological misapplication of
human sexuality” and said that the “recommended treatment” is
“psychological counseling” or “hormone supplements,”
presented gay men and lesbians as a threat to society, used Bible
passages as “empirical” evidence that life begins at conception,
and asserted that abortion is “the leading cause of death in this
country.”
Two students told the ACLU that their
complaints to administration officials were dismissed.
“I feel very let down by my school,”
said Jacqui Mahaffey, a 24-year-old student who took Lopez's class
and complained to officials.
“I signed up for health science
because I was interested in the subject, but what I got was hateful
lecturing based on Professor Lopez's personal beliefs. I am in
school to learn, not to be indoctrinated with one professor's
religious views and anti-gay beliefs.”
Lopez, however, adamantly denied he
made such statements, repeatedly answering “No, I did not” to
reporter's questions.
He said his use of the Bible or
religious views were intended to stir critical thinking.
Lopez will continue teaching his
introductory health class even as administrators investigate whether
he has violated any rules.