Sweda is a former student of Kuilema’s, and he said he considers her a friend. “I did a lot of good for a lot of people there, and for the students that I supervised, and it really does come down to the fact that I’m openly queer why this has all happened, and I think that’s disgusting.” “Honestly, there’s nothing in my file at Calvin that is negative,” Sweda said. While Kuilema plans to appeal, he knows his days at Calvin may be limited. Memos detailing the decision to deny Kuilema reappointment note his commitment to students, his outstanding work record and the support of his colleagues, but they ultimately cite his role in officiating a same-sex marriage, in direct violation of university policies established by the Christian Reformed Church, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Now Kuilema may be out of a job as well: Calvin’s Professional Status Committee has recommended denying his reappointment for a third term. Sweda violated Calvin’s policy barring same-sex marriages for employees, but rather than fire her, the university spun off the research center as an independent entity. Last fall, Kuilema officiated the wedding of Nicole Sweda, then a research associate at Calvin’s Center for Social Research.
