I am writing in support of someone I’ve come to know well over the years, and someone who I’ve seen make a positive impact on many students — former SBCC Astronomy Professor Erin O’Connor.
A previous partner of mine and former student of Erin’s introduced me to him in 2016. Being an astronomy professor, Erin was active in the SBCC astronomy club and often hosted gatherings at his home with former students. In my mind, he considered them as part of his extended family. That included my partner. She had taken his classes and he became a central figure in her education and decision to continue pursuing physics and astronomy at university and ultimately, professionally. She saw Erin as the father figure that she didn’t have growing up.
That being said, I approached their relationship with a healthy amount of skepticism. I didn’t know Erin and my partner seemed close to him — on paper, that could be considered strange or suspect. But not once did anything odd or unbecoming ever come to pass over my years dating her and knowing Erin and visiting his home. I was looking out for it, as any good partner would do.
There’s legitimate questions about age gaps and power dynamics here, and I wrestle with them too, but at the end of the day, this was a matter between two consenting adults. Supplying alcohol to someone underage constituted a massive lapse in judgment and was objectively the wrong thing to do.Erin is not a predator. He’s a good human being who cares deeply about his students and is someone who has inspired so many young people to pursue science in higher education and as a career.
