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At the University of Iowa, the College Republicans sent an email this week to the entire college community about an event they termed the "Conservative Coming Out Week." Planned events include an "Animal Rights BBQ" and an opportunity for students to "pick up your Doctors' Notice to miss class for 'sick of being stressed', just like the Wisconsin public employees during the union protests."

No doubt this email was intended to be provocative. But few expected this: Ellen Lewin, a professor of Anthropology and Gender, Women's & Sexuality Studies, wrote back: "FUCK YOU, REPUBLICANS."

Natalie Ginty, Chairwoman of the Iowa Federation of College Republicans, wrote in an email to one of Lewin's supervisors:

We understand that as a faculty member she has the right to express her political opinion, but by leaving her credentials at the bottom of the email she was representing the University of Iowa, not herself alone.

In response, Lewin issued something of an apology on Monday, where she wrote:

I admit the language was inappropriate, and apologize for any affront to anyone's delicate sensibilities. I would really appreciate your not sending blanket emails to everyone on campus, especially in these difficult times.

As though that apology was not scant enough, the following day Lewin appeared to get more and more incensed over the issue, and tempered her apology even further on Tuesday:

I should note that several things in the original message were extremely offensive, nearly rising to the level of obscenity. Despite the Republicans' general disdain for LGBT rights you called your upcoming event "conservative coming out day," appropriating the language of the LGBT right movement. Your reference to the Wisconsin protests suggested that they were frivolous attempts to avoid work. And the "Animal Rights BBQ" is extremely insensitive to those who consider animal rights an important cause. Then, in the email that Ms. Ginty sent complaining about my language, she referred to me as Ellen, not Professor Lewin, which is the correct way for a student to address a faculty member, or indeed, for anyone to refer to an adult with whom they are not acquainted. I do apologize for my intemperate language, but the message you all sent out was extremely disturbing and offensive.

While Lewin makes several good points regarding why the College Republicans' email got under her skin, it is of course unacceptable for a professor to curse out students via mass email. It's a shame for Levin that her original response to the mass email was not the email above. After the University's president issued a statement condemning "intolerant and disrespectful discord," Lewin conceded by emailing the College Republicans' faculty advisor: "I have been sufficiently chastened by this incident that I can assure you it will not happen again."