The New York Post:
A Virginia university assistant professor who argued it wasn’t necessarily immoral for adults to be sexually attracted to kids has agreed to resign after facing intense backlash.
Old Dominion University revealed in a statement Wednesday that Allyn Walker, 34, will be stepping down as an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice.
Walker was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 16 after a firestorm erupted over the educator’s controversial argument that pedophile’s should be referred to as “minor-attracted persons.”
The assistant professor, who is transgender and uses the pronouns they/them, will remain on leave until their contract expires in May next year.
The university had been facing calls to fire Walker after the educator made the comment earlier this month while discussing their research in an interview with the Prostasia Foundation, a San Francisco-based child protection organization.
Walker insisted it it was important to use the term “minor-attracted persons” instead of “pedophile” because it’s less stigmatizing.
Critics, however, argued that Walker’s terminology destigmatized sex offenders.
An online petition calling for Walker’s removal had gained more than 14,000 signatures as of Wednesday.
