Both NUI Galway and the Students Union of NUI Galway have responded to a tweet from a lecturer of NUI, that has since been deleted.
NUI Galway and the Students Union of NUI Galway have acknowledged that the view expressed by a lecturer from the college 10 days ago, on the 2nd June 2018 is in no way affiliated with the college.
On the second of June, Sean Leen a lecturer in the Mechanical and Engineering Department at NUI Galway tweeted an anti LGBT sentiment.
This sentiment was tweeted in reaction to the Irish soccer team’s LGBT kits, worn by the team in support of the Irish LGBT community.
The Irish team incorporated the rainbow flag into their kits as a statement of support for LGBT people and also to mark the beginning of Pride Month.
NUI Galway Lecturer Sean Leen tweeted:
Following the tweet from Sean Leen, there was a lot of backlash on twitter from both students and lecturers. Student’s Union President Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh, responded:
For an academic staff member of @nuigalway to be making comments like this undermines every LGBT+ student&staff member of the university and our collective pursuit of equality. Let’s look forward not back&show our students that such hate will not be tolerated #prideineverystudent https://t.co/NfzEyYmW62
— Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh (@LorcanLeFada) June 6, 2018
Subsequently the lecturer has deleted both the tweet and his twitter account. https://twitter.com/sean_leen/status/1002829418799169536
NUI Galway Press and Information Officer, Michelle Ní Chróinín yesterday said: “The view expressed was personal and is not affiliated with the University.”
Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh, President of the Students Union at NUI Galway also released a statement yesterday in response to the tweet: “I think that the response to the tweet by Prof. Leen is an indication as to how the community here at NUI Galway will not stand by and allow for such derogatory comments to be made.
“Our campus and our community here at NUI Galway is one that strives for equality for all and we will not sit by the wayside when these values are undermined by any member of staff or student.”
It is not yet known whether there will be any repercussions for Lecturer Sean Leen following the tweet.
