WACO, TX — Dr. Lewis Lummer, a Baylor University American Sign Language professor, made an apology to his students Wednesday afternoon after a lecture from a guest speaker went awry.
According to Lummer's students, the guest lecturer, Jari Saavalainen, a deaf pastor from the Chicago area, made anti-LGBTQ+ remarks.
Students explained during Saavalainen's lecture, he presented a screen that read "Deaf Christians Struggling with Unwanted Same Sex Attraction." He went on to share his views on LGBTQ+ ideas.
"My jaw dropped. I'm pretty much a very openly gay person, and people can obviously tell that I am someone who is gay, and seeing it up there, the entire class was watching my reaction, so it very much singled me out," said a student in attendance for the controversial lecture.
The student explained the entire experience felt like a type of conversion therapy, which Baylor University does not condone.
Baylor University officials told 25 News Saavalainen has guest lectured on campus before without an incident. They also explained the content he presented on Tuesday was not planned, nor was it the soul message of the lecture.
Dr. Lewis Lummer emailed the students who were in attendance an apology for Saavalainen's lecture.
