POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

The following is from Politico’s Morning Education daily newsletter:

 RUTGERS REVERSES RULING ON CONTROVERSIAL FACEBOOK POSTS : After being accused of caving to an “internet mob,” Rutgers University has reversed a ruling that history professor James Livingston was guilty of violating its anti-harassment policy when he wrote posts on Facebook complaining about gentrification. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a civil liberties group, sided with Livingston and complained to the university in August and Rutgers President Robert Barchi ordered a reevaluation of the initial ruling.

 Notably, the school found that: “No student or university employee has come forward to assert that Professor Livingston has in some way penalized them for their race. This is the case even after Professor Livingston has been teaching for several months after making his Facebook posts. There is no evidence that he administered grades and conducted himself in class in a manner that reveals any racial bias on his part.”

 Livingston wrote on Facebook in May: “OK, officially, I now hate white people. I am a white people, for God’s sake, but can we keep them-us-us out of my neighborhood?” In another post, he wrote, “I just don’t want little Caucasians overrunning my life … remand them to the suburbs, where they and their parents can colonize every restaurant.” The posts quickly drew the attention of the conservative website The Daily Caller, as well as local and national news outlets. Livingston reported to the university that he started receiving hate mail and death threats.