English professor Peter Travis will receive the 2009 Warren-Brooks Award for Outstanding Literary Criticism this Saturday at Western Kentucky University. Travis' book, "Disseminal Chaucer: Rereading the Nun's Priest's Tale," was chosen from 42 others that received nominations for this year's contest, according to Western Kentucky University News. In his book, Travis describes the Nun's Priest's Tale from "The Canterbury Tales" as a "kaleidoscopic parody" of issues relevant to medieval intellectual discourse, including its sexual politics, theories of argument and ways of reading stories, according to WKU.
A former Brown University student who was expelled after being accused of raping a fellow student has filed a lawsuit against the school, according to the Associated Press. William McCormick III is arguing that his expulsion was the result of a false rape allegation made by the daughter of a Brown alumnus who significantly contributed financially to the school, the AP reported. Although the University expelled McCormick, his criminal charges were never reported to the police as they were not deemed credible enough, according to the AP. At proceedings on Monday, U.S. District Judge William Smith said some of McCormick's claims appear unsubstantiated and unspecific, but issued concerns about Brown's failure to report the charges to authorities.
A new bill would give school principals in New York City the authority to decide which individuals to lay off without regards to seniority if the city's financial troubles necessitate school layoffs, The New York Times reported. As many as 8,500 teachers may face layoffs in response to the $600 million to $1.2 billion city education department budget cuts that Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced January 28. The bill stipulates that a committee of parents, teachers and administrators from each school would determine layoffs, according to The Times. The bill, sponsored by two Democratic state lawmakers, will most likely anger teachers' unions, according to The Times. Labor unions defend seniority as a way of preventing employers from targeting high-salaried workers in making layoffs, The Times reported.
