Williams: How Xavier University's leadership shines for standing by Joe Deters appointment

Let’s pause to appreciate Xavier University standing out as a shining “gold star” while many other institutions and companies continue to cave to censorship, groupthink and identity politics.

Nah, let’s all-out celebrate XU.

Its leaders are standing up and staying strong as leftist loudmouths call for the university to reverse its decision to appoint conservative Ohio Supreme Court Justice Joe Deters to the newly created role of “justice in residence.”

It boils down to a small group of campus activists simply being upset Deters was consistently tough on violent criminals during his long career as Hamilton County prosecutor, a job the outspoken Republican left late last year to become a jurist.

It takes strong leadership to pushback at a time when so many college presidents, elected leaders and chief executives nationwide are kowtowing to the demands of left-wing activists and lobbyists. Honestly, it takes a leader who doesn't care what a bunch of anonymous trolls are saying on Twitter.

What’s happening at Xavier is a direct result of the private, Catholic school hiring its first layperson as president nearly two years ago, Dr. Colleen Hanycz. Xavier made the bold hire partly to become a bigger player on the region's power stage (med school, anyone?) and break away from its insular reputation.

Out with the touchy-feely Jesuits priests. In with someone who brings real-world common sense to a college campus. Hanycz spent several years practicing law before going into higher education. She’s never operated in the vacuum of religious order.

“I have a very, very strong view about universities,” Hanycz recently told reporter Sharon Coolidge and me on The Enquirer’s “That’s So Cincinnati” podcast. “They cannot be places of groupthink. Universities must be marketplaces of ideas where we are forced to encounter ideas and views and perspectives that not only make us think, but ideally make us uncomfortable. And that’s what I am hoping to have.”

“Did she really just say that?” I thought during the interview, which you can listen to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart and other platforms.

Call the Blue Blob, book the big conference room at Cintas Center and let’s have a party. Let’s invite everyone – Deters, his critics and, well, everyone.

In fact, that’s what Hanycz essentially plans to do (Blue Blob attendance TBD). The university plans to host events featuring Deters and other panelists who don’t think like him later this year.

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask Deters questions and let him know if they agree or disagree with his viewpoints, including his support of the death penalty and fight against left-wing efforts to make it easier for violent criminals to post bail.

"If I am bringing you views you don't like, then man, that's a gold star for me, because that is how we grow," Hanycz said.

Preach it.

Xavier’s open-mindedness is a win for those of us who steadfastly believe in the First Amendment, which has been under attack by political extremists on both sides of the aisle.

It's a win for those of us who welcome different viewpoints and want people to freely share them.

It's a win for our region.

Contact columnist Jason Williams by email at jwilliams@enquirer.com and on Twitter @jwilliamscincy.