Columbia sacked for priest sex joke

Hundreds of angry Fordham students signed petitions yesterday demanding
Columbia University apologize for alleged anti-Catholic taunts made at
Saturday's Columbia-Fordham football game. "They're outraged," said
Elizabeth Schmalz, a Fordham spokeswoman.

During halftime at Columbia's Wein Stadium, the crowd heard an off-color
crack about the priest sex scandals over the public-address system.

Then, according to the Catholic League, Columbia's irreverent band and the
crowd began making anti-Catholic jokes. [That didn't actually happen... -ed.]

"The comment that was made at the Fordham-Columbia football game was
disturbing, but the crowd's reaction was more so," declared Catholic
League President William Donohue, who said he got his information from
Fordham fans.

"What this shows is that all the campus talk about multiculturalism,
diversity, inclusion and tolerance means very little when applied to
Catholics," Donohue added. "It is politically correct to bash Catholics."

Schmalz said Fordham students who attended the game, which the Columbia
Lions won, 13-11, were "very offended."

"It was contemptible, and I really would have expected from the people at
Columbia more of a sense of decency and restraint," she said.

Columbia spokeswoman Lauren Marshall said the alleged remarks were not
made by anyone in an official capacity.

"It doesn't reflect the school," she said.