N.Y. prof suspended for Colorado shootings joke
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (AP) - A United States Merchant Marine Academy professor faces dismissal for joking about the Colorado movie theater shootings in front of his students.
A student's father was among the victims.
The New York Times says Gregory F. Sullivan has been suspended from his tenured position as humanities instructor.
The newspaper says the academy on Kings Point, Long Island, informed Sullivan on Aug. 10 that he had 10 days to contest his dismissal.
According to an internal personnel document, Sullivan told the class: "If someone with orange hair appears in the corner of the room, run for the exit." He had just turned down the lights to show a documentary.
Colorado suspect James Holmes has dyed orange hair.
Sullivan apologized to the students and faculty. He declined to comment to The Times.
A student's father was among the victims.
The New York Times says Gregory F. Sullivan has been suspended from his tenured position as humanities instructor.
The newspaper says the academy on Kings Point, Long Island, informed Sullivan on Aug. 10 that he had 10 days to contest his dismissal.
According to an internal personnel document, Sullivan told the class: "If someone with orange hair appears in the corner of the room, run for the exit." He had just turned down the lights to show a documentary.
Colorado suspect James Holmes has dyed orange hair.
Sullivan apologized to the students and faculty. He declined to comment to The Times.
"as humanities instructor" Â
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How Ironic.Â
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I think anyone who jokes about any national tragedy should be put in there right place.
I applaud this mans removal by his peers.
I feel bad that he's going to get fired, but he deserves to. It's not funny and there was no reason to make a joke like that in the first place.Â
That's a stupid reason for firing someone. What is our nation is coming to? The student who got offended should look for an apology (which he got), but apparently, he wants revenge. Our nation is becoming a nation of wimps.
 @777 If someone had said that before the premiere of the batman movie, they would have been a hero.
And students who are Christians are verbally assaulted, mocked and ridiculed directly and indirectly at public universities on a daily basis by the "enlightened elite"...
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 @Truth Percolates That never happened once where I went to college.Â
 @Truth Percolates Oh, yes, those poor, persecuted Christian American youth. Really???
A humanities instructor making a joke about humanity. Â Oh, the humanity!
Yeeeeaaaaah......kinda in poor taste. But I don't agree the guy should be in trouble for it. Just should have been talked to. You don't have the right to not be offended.
This might be slightly off topic, but did Holmes have orange hair when he went on his rampage? Or did he get it dyed afterwards? Could anyone tell in the dark & beneath the gas mask?
I would probably be more concerned if someone wearing a gas mask & carrying an assault rifle appeared in the corner of the room rather than just some funky colored hair.
And did the professor even KNOW that one of his students had a relative that was a victim?
 @katiemcc Considering he was arrested as he exited the theater I am guessing his hair was already dyed Orange... I doubt he would have had access to hair dye between then and when the picture was taken.
I don't think this was any kind of dismissive comment about the theater shooting but rather a off-handed comment that we all make about the world that says "the world is crazy, look out for the crazy people". Firing anyone over this is silly.Â
I would've laughed, that's kind of funny. Lighten up people!
The comment/joke was certainly in poor taste, but to be dismissed over it? I think the world has become so intolerant over every little thing it's kind of ridiculous. Whatever happened to just conversing about something that offends and maybe getting/giving an apology?  Â
 @achoo2 I think it was more of a personal hit for the student whose father was at the shooting when it happened. I think sometimes, in a professional job, some things are better left unsaid because you never know what someone has gone through in their life time. It's all about observance and seeing what you can and cannot say around certain people. In this case, the professor should have watched his mouth I feel, or at least had a topic of discussion to clear what he had said. I do think termination is a bit harsh though.
 @HannaJo the article indicates that the students father was one of the victims of the shooting. Losing his job over this does seem a bit harsh, but then again, so does hearing someone make jokes about the situation in which your loved one was killed.
 @achoo2 words have meaning. take responsibility for what you say. stop making excuses. you don't deserve to be in a position of responsibility if you are so insensitive as to joke about something like those shootings. How hard is that?