On Wednesday, April 21st, UToledo College of Law Professor Lee Strang was presented the Inclusion Excellence Award by the University of Toledo’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Professor Strang embodies the exact opposite of diversity and inclusion, and that is evident in his writings.

Professor Strang wrote an article, “Private Acts, Public Harm”, in which he claims, “the people most harmed by homosexual activity are homosexuals themselves. They hurt themselves by placing themselves in opposition to the will of a loving God that wants only the best for all of those made in his image. They also harm themselves through their disordered use of their bodies and uncontrolled desires... people who know their purpose are also harmed. They are forced to live in a society that assaults morality.” He furthers asserts, “Parents, such as my wife and I, are especially harmed, because a corrupt society that does not seek to prevent homosexual activity makes it more difficult for us to properly raise our children.” (http://hlrecord.org/letters-keeping-private-acts-private/

He claims in another writing that the acceptance of the LGBTQ community and the inclusion of women in the church is a direct cause of child abuse and rape that has occurred in the Catholic Church. (http://hlrecord.org/the-church-of-too-much-dissent

He also touches on racial communities, “Liberals like racial and ethnic diversity because they think it produces more liberals.” He continues, “To achieve diversity, the Law School provides dramatic preference to blacks, chicanos, Indians, and Puerto Rican’s” through affirmative action, and implies diversity comes at the cost of white students, and is somehow a great cost and harm to Universities. He continues this review writing against “promoting racial understanding, cultural awareness and appreciation, and acceptance of other cultures”. These are the at the very core of what diversity and inclusion should stand for, and Professor Strang writes them off as a liberal ploy to create more liberals. (http://hlrecord.org/why-do-liberals-love-diversity/

The University released an article this afternoon, April 23rd responding to concerns in which the University says we must accept opposing viewpoints and have healthy, respectful debates. (http://news.utoledo.edu/index.php/04_23_2021/2021-inclusive-excellence-awards There is no debate when it comes to diversity and inclusion. There is no debate when one's own right to live is the topic. There is no debate when one's right to be themselves and love who they love is the topic.

Furthermore, Professor Strang’s writings are neither respectful nor healthy. They are direct attacks on the very communities UToledo claims to respect and advocate for. They are attacks on minority communities and attacks on the LGBTQ community. He goes so far as to claim these groups corrupt society and harm children. When UToledo not only allows these writings, but celebrates them with inclusion awards, it ignores years of work by students, faculty, and staff who have worked for these groups to feel not only safe, but included on campus and in our wider community. Tolerating and celebrating bigotry and intolerance does not make our campus more inclusive, it in fact, makes it less inclusive.

We demand that UToledo revoke Professor Strang’s Inclusion Excellence Award, and instead award it to one of the many faculty and staff members who work day in and day out to make students of all communities feel welcome and included. Furthermore, we demand a public apology from the University for celebrating these intolerant views, and for the recent article claiming this somehow made the university more tolerant and more inclusive. Additionally, we demand full transparency on the awards process, and that a group of diverse students and alumni are a part of the awards committee in all future awards.