The following statement on the suspension of Professor Johnny Williams was issued by the Executive Committee of the Trinity College AAUP chapter. This morning Inside Higher Ed reports that “Williams said he was told by a dean that he was taking leave whether he wanted to or not, and that Trinity made its decision in…
BY HANK REICHMAN The shocking story of Trinity College professor Johnny Williams, target of racist harassment and death threats that led to a one-day shutdown of Trinity College, has taken another ominous turn. Today Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney issued the following statement: June 26, 2017 To the Members of the Trinity Community, As a…
BY HANK REICHMAN Besieged Trinity College professor Johnny Eric Williams yesterday issued a statement apologizing for his use of a controversial hashtag on a Facebook post, even as he remained in hiding out of fear of death threats made against him and his family. Those threats, as I reported Wednesday, compelled Trinity to shut down…
BY HANK REICHMAN Already reeling from the lengthy and damaging, though ultimately successful, campaign to retain the community college’s accreditation, faculty, students, and community supporters at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) may now face a new challenge. Yesterday, the college’s trustees approved a $310,500 contract for new Chancellor Mark Rocha, despite objections from dozens…
BY HANK REICHMAN Just days after Professor Dana Cloud of Syracuse University became the object of an organized campaign of right-wing online harassment for a Twitter post, Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, closed its doors today “until further notice” in response to threats made after a professor’s Facebook post attracted attention in right-wing media. “Given…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following is the text of a letter sent today to Senator Kevin de León, President Pro-Tem of the California state Senate, by the Council of University of California Faculty Associations (CUCFA), an AAUP partner organization: June 19, 2017 Senator Kevin de León State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax: (916)…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN Today the AAUP issued the following statement: The AAUP notes with sadness the death of long-serving former staff member Evelyn Miller in May at the age of 89. The Association’s operations in the areas of academic freedom and tenure received essential support for many decades from Miller, who was a member…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN On January 31, the AAUP issued a statement on “Targeted Online Harassment of Faculty,” which decried how a growing number of faculty members nationwide “have been subject to threats of physical violence, including sexual assault, through hundreds of e-mails, calls, and social media postings” in response to viewpoints expressed on electronic…
BY HANK REICHMAN In two free speech decisions with minimal direct relevance to higher education, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled, first, that the federal government cannot refuse to register trademarks that the government deems offensive on racial, religious or similar ground and, second, that a North Carolina law making it a felony for a…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following is a statement from the AAUP and the American Federation of Teachers. The ‘code of ethics’ that the government of Israel is considering for the country’s academic institutions is a threat not only to academic freedom in Israel, but to Israel’s standing as a democracy. We join with colleagues in…