Allyn Walker, an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at Old Dominion University in Virginia, has agreed to step down from the faculty after being previously placed on administrative leave due to an outcry over accusations of promoting pedophilia.
Walker, whose book A Long, Dark Shadow: Minor-Attracted People and Their Pursuit of Dignity was published in June, believes adult sexual attraction to children should be destigmatized and viewed as another sexual orientation, not inherently immoral unless the “minor-attracted person” (a stigma-free alternative to “pedophile” proposed by Walker and some others) is an actual child molester. Reports on Walker’s book and opinions, which surfaced last month, stoked outrage both among ODU students—some of whom demanded the professor’s removal—and within right-wing media. Threats followed. The administrative leave, according to the school, was as much for Walker’s safety as for general safety on campus. The university’s statement also mentioned that “the controversy over Dr. Walker’s research has disrupted the campus and community environment and is interfering with the institution’s mission of teaching and learning.”
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