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[[[[Gene Nichol, the president of the historic College of William & Mary who ordered a cross removed from the campus chapel and approved presentation of a sex show, has quit after being told his contract would not be renewed this summer.A report in the Virginian-Pilot said Nichol abandoned any responsibilities he would have had during the remaining few months of his contract when the rector of the Williamsburg, Va., college's governing Board of Visitors told him his contract would not be renewed on its expiration in June.Nichol, who came under criticism from tens of thousands of students and alumni for his decision to remove the historic cross that had been on display in Wren Chapel for nearly a century, left still defending his actions.The report said that in a letter to students and staff members he wrote that his decision to take the cross out of the chapel was governed by principles he found in the U.S. Constitution. He also credited the Constitution for his decision to allow the sex workers show on the publicly funded campus.]]]] The school's board appointed Dean W. Taylor Reveley as interim president and announced that a search for a replacement for Nichol would be launched immediately.The rector, Michael Powell, praised Nichol in an interview with the newspaper, crediting him with increasing diversity at the school and acknowledging his connections with students.He said the decision to dismiss Nichol was not based on ideology, but he refused to specify the "number of problems" that have caused the board to express concern.He told the Virginian-Pilot the board weighed the president's duties concerning public and alumni relations, fundraising and other issues."There's a food fight going on, and there's a very objective review going on," he told the paper. "And we're participating in … the latter."On the newspaper forum, comments ranged from a commitment that Nichol will "still be my president," to the other end of the spectrum."His anti-Christian bigotry was just too much and then forcing that perverted sex show on the students took it to the end," wrote one commenter." "What a horrible human being, he is really someone who needs to turn from his wicked sins. …"The cross controversy developed first. WND broke the story in 2006 when one of Nichol's administrators ordered the donated brass cross removed from the chapel in order to make the structure "less faith-specific."But nearly 20,000 alumni and students eventually signed a petition seeking its restoration to the historic structure on what is the second oldest university in America, and an institution that began as a Christian ministry.What the Board of Visitors, however, likely found more compelling was the decision by a college supporter to withdraw a promised $12 million donation because of Nichol's actions.A report in the Hampton Roads, Va., Daily Press said former Board of Visitors member James W. McGlothlin told another former board member Nichol's actions were "unbelievable.""This has been so disturbing to me that I have decided to withhold any future contributions…," the note said.Nichol confirmed, eventually, that he had gotten a single complaint about the Christian cross in the Christian chapel, but he didn't specify its source. He cited that complaint as the reason for the change. When he realized the hornet's nest he had stirred up, he tried backtracking, first announcing he "acted too quickly and should have consulted more broadly" and dictating that a plaque would be put up in the chapel.Eventually [[[[Nichol, a longtime activist with the American Civil Liberties Union in North Carolina and Colorado,]]]] allowed a special committee to be assembled to determine what would be done with the cross, which later was ordered put on permanent display in a case in the chapel.The sex show controversy followed soon after, with a 2007 show that included a 200-pound-plus performer named Dirty Martini who did a striptease, finishing her routine in only a G-string and pasties.Several professors objected, citing studies indicating pornography incites sexual violence. But Nichol defended the show in the name of free expression. He did the same for the event this year.http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56201
As in the days of Noah....
