Special to the Ryersonian

Ryerson computer science instructor, Ilkka Kokkarinen, is under fire after making what are being called sexist and homophobic comments on his blog, Sixteen Volts.

Laura Fraser / Ryersonian Staff

Ryerson University instrutor Ilkka Kokkarinen teaching computer science classes to students.  Outside of class he has come under fire for his blog, Sixteen Volts.

After being alerted by The Ryersonian, computer science chair, Alireza Sadeghian said the department neither accepts nor condones Kokkarinen’s views.

“I will personally suggest to Dr. Kokkarinen that he enrol and participate in appropriate seminars to obtain a proper understanding of human rights and discrimination,” said Sadeghian in an e-mail.

“I will arrange appropriate educational workshops, seminars or training sessions with the help of the discrimination and harassment prevention office at Ryerson.”

Groups on campus have seen Kokkarinen’s comments on his blog, and are concerned. Mandy Ridley, a RyePride co-ordinator, found his comments to be harmful.

“He’s clearly promoting hate upon women and queer-identified women.”

On April 1, Kokkarinen wrote in his blog: “The female overrepresentation is heavily concentrated on the fluff fields that ... which makes these fields suit the female mind better…basically all fields that don’t require any mathematics or logical and analytical thinking beyond the elementary school level.”

An anonymous American student alerted the Women’s Centre, mentioning that she is a computer science student and software engineer and that she had stumbled across Kokkarinen’s blog and was concerned.

The Women’s Centre responded by posting her note outside its office.

“If I were a student at Ryerson,” she said, “I’d be very interested in reading some of the things he (Kokkarinen) has to say before deciding whether or not to take his classes.”

He is not the first anti-feminist and he won’t be the last, said Huda Assaqqaf, 22, women’s centre orientation co-ordinator.

“I don’t think we should keep quiet, especially if it’s a professor working at Ryerson,” she said.

Looking back, Kokkarinen said he realizes that his comments are offensive, adding that, depending on the field of study, either males or females tend to be more highly represented in enrolment figures.

Kokkarinen admits he could have phrased his opinions a lot better in one of his posts, such as the one dated April 19.

He wrote: “I have never really understood how lesbian separatism could work even in principle, since few modern women would want to live in what is essentially a stone age society, which is pretty much what women could ever achieve on their own without men around.”

He goes on to say that the feminists would live off the “generous” welfare cheques provided by men, “assuming that they wanted to eat (and usually lesbians do eat a lot, as you can tell just by looking at them).”

Kokkarinen explained after that the comment was meant to be provocative.

“Clearly, he should not be teaching at Ryerson if he’s promoting hatred,” said Ridley. He does not promote respect, equity and equality, she said.

“I suggest that you go find some female students of mine and ask them what they think,” said Kokkarinen who has been working part time at Ryerson for nearly five years.

“In the time that I’ve been here, I can’t recall one time that in the lecture, I’ve said anything that wasn’t computer science.”

He said that everyone should be treated according to their merit and that he never brings his personal views into the classroom.

All university policies for staff are to be followed at all times, said Sheldon Levy, Ryerson president.

But, there is no policy that covers content posted on faculty members’ personal websites and blogs outside Ryerson, said Michael Dewson, vice-provost, faculty.

“We have free speech and people have a right to free speech. It’s as simple as that,” he said, stating that he would not comment directly on Kokkarinen’s blog posting.

When Ryerson looks to hire instructors, references are required and hiring committees do the necessary research.

“Do they go poking around their personal lives?“ asked Dewson. “No.”

Students in his classes describe Kokkarinen as nice, helpful and intelligent.

“By far the best prof I’ve had,” said one student posting anonymously on the website, RateMyProfessors.com, that allows for students to post
instructor feedback.

“I consider this guy a good prof,” said another. “Very clear, friendly, good marker and definitely loves his field.”

Vaughn Munroe, 45, a parttime student said Kokkarinen was very detailed and that he makes sure everybody understands his lectures.

Kokkarinen, in an April 19 post on his blog, said:

“Quite a few feminists out there seem to be losers who take psychiatric medicines (come on: if the word “loser” doesn’t apply to these people, I don’t see how it could ever apply to anybody) … Is it any wonder that these women are so bitter towards the male sex, since they have to settle
for the loser males? Perhaps lesbianism really is a wise choice for these women.”

Given the chance to respond directly, Kokkarinen said that he was regretful of his phrasing.

“That is angry and I do regret that. That could have been phrased a lot better,” Kokkarinen said. He added that it is unfair to dislike all feminists and that certain things on his blog might have been better left unsaid.

In the same entry he also said, “Most feminists believe that a man who expresses anti-feminist sentiments the way I do should automatically lose his job and marriage for this heresy.”

Kokkarinen admits that he was angry at feminists for personal reasons. “I could have been a better person myself,” he said.

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