Lorraine Hansberrys second play had a white Jewish protagonist. Agre-Kippenhans theory that Linfield can do an end-run around faculty members due process protections by simply firing them as employees is almost clever. If this were to be credited, Davis Linfields president for the last three years either did not know that Linfield had guidelines for terminating tenured faculty members, believes that the university has replaced those policies, or believes that the current policies were implemented without his administrations approval. He said that he had reported that four trustees had been accused of sexual misconduct by students and faculty over the past year and suggested that there be sexual harassment training and guidelines. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Theres a reaction to change, he said. Editors Note: This story has been updated to include information about investigations of sexual harassment at Linfield, based on summaries provided to OPB after the story originally published. Regardless, I asked for and received his resignation from the Board.. In a conversation about the importance of leveling with people, they claim, Davis said something like, You dont giveJews soapwhen you send them to theshowers. Perhaps the Oregon Board of Rabbis went too far in calling for Daviss resignation over comments that seem less anti-Jewish than from outer space. Allegations of Anti-Semitism at Linfield The university's ongoing sexual misconduct scandal involving trustees is a two-headed monster, now that one faculty trustee says he faced anti-Semitism for pushing for reform. Jackson B. Miller, a communication arts professor, criticized both statements, saying they discounted legitimate concerns raised by some about sexual misconduct. Do these folks really think theyre going to win a social media war against Generation Z?, Trey PetersonWood, a recent Linfield graduate, said Monday that the more Linfield attempts to censor and silence advocates for accountability, the more damage they are causing to this great institution that has the potential to be a leader in the age of what oppressors call cancel culture, but in reality, its the age of accountability.. How Biden Intends to Misuse the CHIPS Act, Academic Freedom Is Under Siege by Anti-Israel Politics. She singled out Baca for criticism, saying the schools general counsel told her that Baca gave his word that David Jubb would never have contact with students again or be allowed at events that served alcohol.. The Chronicle conducted interviews with Linfields dissembling leadership as they frantically grasp for any credible explanation for why they terminated a tenured faculty member with no process a severance so quick that the professor learned of his termination because he got an auto-response from his own email address explaining that Daniel Pollack-Pelzner is no longer an employee of Linfield University.. Last week, the faculty of Linfields College of Arts and Sciences overwhelmingly called for his resignation. Linfield University locations: McMinnville Campus 900 SE Baker Street McMinnville, Oregon 97128 503-883-2200. Dr. Davis said that an investigation had reached the same conclusion about the accusations against Mr. Nixon, who could not be reached. When he sent an email to the account from his personal email, he received an automatic response saying he no longer worked at the school. His termination, the letter says, threatens to set a precedent that will eviscerate the foundational principles of both free speech and of faculty governance on university campuses., Miles K. Davis, Linfield University's president, denies saying anything antisemitic. As FIRE detailed yesterday, Linfield Universitys senior leadership abruptly terminated Daniel Pollack-Pelzner after he criticized the universitys handling of sexual assault and harassment allegations against board members, and alleged that Linfield president Miles K. Davis had made a remark about Jewish noses. Davis has, until now, denied that claim. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. If this is what Linfield wants its faculty standards to look like, one would not need to look far to see how it will be abused.). 2023 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. Tenure and contracts are not Calvinball. Davis, meanwhile, appears astounded at the very notion of due process: As for whether there should have been a period during which Pollack-Pelzner would have had a chance to respond to the charges against him, Davis replied with an analogy. Davis told the Chronicle of Higher Education that the schools faculty handbook had not been updated and said a number of things in that handbook that are not valid. He added that Our legal representation feels very comfortable with the basis for his termination.. Other faculty members have since stepped forward to report an even stranger comment. The Linfield Curriculum The core general-education courses teach critical thinking and communication skills and provide a rich, broad experience. While I did not witness any untoward behavior as alleged, I regret that Mr. Jubb was allowed to be in the same setting with a student, Baca wrote. Davis had previously denied making the comment, and an investigation into him had concluded based on his denial that the comment could not be substantiated. As Linfield adapts to meet the needs of a new generation of students and the demands of a quickly evolving world of higher education, the Board also has to adapt and change. Pollack-Pelzners interpretation of what Davis meant is a matter of opinion, not fact, and remains protected speech. Davis stated that none of the allegations in Pollack-Pelzners tweets are recent and that they were all initially raised nearly a year ago. He also insisted that the remark was part of an academic discussion and wasnt meant to be offensive. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Faces of Research: Meet Aaron Stebner - February 13, 2023. There is a jury trial scheduled for that case in November. In another account, a faculty member accused Linfield President Davis of misconduct. Colleen Flaherty April 19, 2021 (Daniel Pollack-Pelzner/Twitter) The local ADL representative did not respond to a call for comment on Friday. He said that as an African-American man, he understands the need for education, training and community engagement on matters of discrimination and intolerance.. That is exactly what FIRE is telling Davis and the institution he currently leads. That lawsuit is still pending. On Thursday, Pollack-Pelzner told JTA that he learned he was fired only when he discovered he was locked out of his work email. Baca has been on the board for13 years. Linfield laid this, and other allegations, out in a statement last year from the Executive Committee of the universitys board of trustees. Linfield University canceled faculty Listservs over the weekend, sparking faculty cries of censorship. He told the Chronicle that his comment had been informed by his time in the Middle East. Linfield University locations: McMinnville Campus 900 SE Baker Street McMinnville, Oregon 97128 503-883-2200. But that order was not strictly enforced, and Mr. Jubb was accused of sexual misconduct again in 2019, at an event Mr. Baca attended, he said. The employee handbook every page of which is stamped Revised December 2020 (by Finance & Administration) expressly refers to the faculty handbook and specifically cites the faculty handbooks appendix laying out the procedural mechanisms for disciplinary action involving tenured faculty. It could hardly be clearer. Davis denied making this comment before he admitted making it. The university, which has about 1,900 students and 139 faculty members, maintains an affiliation with the American Baptist Churches U.S.A. Dr. Pollack-Pelzner lost his post a month after he had outlined multiple accusations of anti-Semitism and sexual misconduct by university leaders in a statement on Twitter. Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212. Dr. Pollack-Pelzner, Dr. Linder, Dr. Tompkins, Dr. Friedman and two other professors who had received requests to speak to the group responded in an email that investigating employees who have reported harassment and retaliation, no matter how well-intentioned the investigation is itself an act of retaliation., As the controversy has dragged on, Mr. Baca, the board chairman, has tried to reassure students and others on campus who have protested the handling of the sexual misconduct accusations, writing in a letter to the Linfield community last July, I believe that you are safe, that there is justice and that the trustees are protecting you.. Several professors have of late used mass emails or publicly criticized the university for what they describe as Linfield's poor handling of several sexual misconduct complaints involving members of the Board of Trustees. The Oregonian/OregonLive generally doesnt identify alleged victims of sexual abuse but Motis said she wanted to be named after filing a lawsuit against the school. When he sent an email to himself as a test, he received, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reports, an auto-reply, Daniel Pollack-Pelzner is no longer an employee of Linfield University. A Linfield University spokesperson explains that Pollack-Pelzner was let go for circulating unspecified false statements, for an equally unspecified failure to comply with university policies, and generally being insubordinate.. Reginald Richardson, the president of the local NAACP chapter, told JTA that he trusted the independent investigation of the antisemitism claims, and that Pollack-Pelzners firing was outside the scope of the NAACP report. Florida State University ranked No. The university faces growing calls for the resignation of that president, Miles K. Davis, and the chairman of its board of trustees amid accusations that they made offensive comments about Jews and that Dr. Davis and three other board members had engaged in various forms of misconduct with female professors and students. If a person walks up and punches a student in the face, youre telling me I need to go convene a group of people before I take any action against them?. Presented by FIRE and College Pulse, the 2022 College Free Speech Rankings is the largest survey of campus free expression ever performed. In an interview on Thursday, Dr. Davis said that while he doesnt recall the comments he made that day, he doesnt use the phrase anymore and added, Im sorry if I said something that offended them at that time.. Davis is Linfields first Black president, and the report said that since 1970, no Black people have been elected as faculty trustee or faculty executive chair. Where small class sizes translate to big opportunities. How Oregon researchers are testing 3D printing to reconstruct bone. Discover who you're meant to be. That includes the dismissal of Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, which occurred in the middle of a Zoom meeting at Linfield University without him being granted any hearing or due process. MSE News. Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Nor is this a policy that somehow escaped the administrations approval: It has been in Linfields faculty handbook since at least 2013. One faculty trustee also accused board members of anti-Semitism, and the arts and sciences faculty voted overwhelmingly that it has no confidence in President Miles Davis or David Baca, board chair. Jubb has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Miri Cypers, the groups regional director, said that while the A.D.L. Jubb has pleaded not guilty to sex abuse charges. If Baca isnt going to step down, he should at least apologize for the tone of his statement, Miller wrote Friday in an email to Linfield faculty. Linfield fires prof who raised sexual harassment, antisemitism allegations By Rob Manning (OPB) April 27, 2021 6:58 p.m. As described in a federal lawsuit, Linfield board chair David Baca told trustees in June 2019 that veteran trustee David Jubb was resigning "due to health concerns,'' when he actually was facing sexual abuse allegations. But in an interview with The Chronicle, Davis confirmed that he had indeed made the comment about Jewish and Arab noses, which he said had been informed by the time hed spent in the Middle East. Mr. Jubb has pleaded not guilty and his case is scheduled for trial in November, his lawyer said. Offices on the Portland and McMinnville campuses will be closed from Dec. 23 - Jan. 2 so employees can enjoy a much-deserved rest this holiday season. No competent university leader could credibly believe that tenured faculty are at-will employees. Finally, the President said that people like me were destroying [Linfield] from within and could only show loyalty by accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament, Pollack-Pelzner tweeted. Dr. Friedman said she had also reported that another trustee, Norman Nixon, a former member of the Los Angeles Lakers, touched her thigh during a university dinner and asked if there was a Mr. He said that his firing sent the message that if you use your voice to speak up against sexual misconduct, then you will lose your voice.. I think its incredulous that so many hurtful and disturbing and inappropriate comments have been made, Miri Cypers, the ADLs Pacific Northwest regional director, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. WiMSE Partners to Help Invisible Homeless - January 26, 2023. The governing council of a national academic association this week voted to censure Linfield University over the abrupt firing of tenured English professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, an advocate. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. [11] The firing, previously reported by The Oregonian, has added to the extraordinary turmoil at Linfield, which was founded in 1858 as a Baptist college and offers liberal arts, business and nursing programs. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, a tenured. Both students and faculty members have repeatedly called on Baca to step down over Linfields handling of sexual misconduct reports by students against David Jubb, a former trustee who is facing a criminal trial. Linfield University announced Tuesday that the chair of its Board of Trustees, David Baca, has stepped down from the leadership post after four years, including a tumultuous last several months. Davis invited the NAACP to investigate whether he was subject to racist treatment after he was accused both of antisemitism as well as sexual assault. Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive, told the newspaper in May that the school failed to intervene as promised, Jubb is accused of sexually abusing student-trustee AnnaMarie Motis. Earlier this year, Linfields College of Arts and Sciences held a similar vote signifying no confidence and calling for the resignation of both Baca and Davis. The only major offered is Nursing. FIREs 2022 College Free Speech Rankings are based on the voices of more than 44,000 currently enrolled students at 208 colleges and are designed to help parents and prospective students choose the right school. As I understand it from the documents we reviewed, the allegations of antisemitic comments were investigated by the university, so that was litigated and resolved, he said. The most serious of the sexual misconduct allegations involved a trustee, David Jubb, who resigned in June 2019 and was charged in an indictment last May with one count of felony sexual abuse and seven counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse. Linfield - Nursing is a private university located in Portland, Oregon. Linfields trustees failed see that deeply held resistance to Black leadership and culture fueled the ferocity of resistance to organization change, the report said. "After 13 years on the Board and four years as chair, Dave decided it was in Linfield's best interest that he step down and allow new leaders to come to the forefront," Scott Nelson, university spokesman, told The Oregonian. If your rights are in jeopardy, get in touch with us: thefire.org/alarm. He said he would leave if my departure would benefit the university.. Pollack-Pelzner tweeted that after he passed on misconduct reports, he faced comments related to his religion from the head of the human resources department and the board chair, and he had also heard President Davis talk about measuring the size of Jewish noses. In addition, Pollack-Pelzner said that Davis told him people were overreacting to swastikas that had appeared on campus. Here, you'll find full details on how to place either request. The Oregon Board of Rabbis called on Dr. Davis and Mr. Baca to resign. Pollack-Pelzner whose case has become a cause celebre among American academics did not agree to speak with the NAACP for its investigation, and the report does not substantively address his termination or his allegations, relying instead on the independent investigation that could not substantiate them. Additionally, the ADL encouraged Linfield leadership to attend trainings on bias and antisemitism. Fill out the form below to receive personalized communications or close this window to continue. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Instead, he said, it was the result of Pollack-Pelzners having made a number of statements that were blatantly false. The example he cited is the professors stating, in a recent email to Linfield faculty members, that Jubb, the former trustee, faced eight felony counts. Elan Ganeles, American killed in West Bank attack, remembered for his wit and friendship, As Orthodox Union and other Jewish groups condemn settler rampage, many avoid mentioning Benjamin Netanyahu, Planned Day of Hate against Jews passes by with packed synagogues and no violence, Red Sox exec Chaim Bloom says hes received antisemitism over teams woes, Jewish comedian Modi Rosenfeld says he still has plenty of Orthodox fans after opening up about being gay, ESPNs Jeff Passan opens up on his Hebrew school upbringing, interviewing Sandy Koufax and Jewish baseball history. I am honored to serve this great institution as Interim Chair. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern. Davis also noted that two of the trustees who were accused of sexual misconduct are African-American. Richard Belzer was a Jewish comedian. In a June 17, 2019, email to board members, Baca wrote that Jubb, 71, had advised him he was resigning due to health concerns. Baca cited Jubbs valuable service to the board and the College and urged gratitude for his positive contributions.. Linfield by-laws require a lengthy process including multiple hearings, which did not happen in Pollack-Pelzners case. Multiple organizations, including the Oregon Board of Rabbis, called for both Baca and university president Miles Davis to resign. He has denied the students allegations, Baca wrote. Dr. Pollack-Pelzner also said that Dr. Davis had made a comment in 2018 about measuring the size of Jewish noses when the professor had mentioned that he was teaching The Merchant of Venice, which features Shylock, a character often criticized as an anti-Semitic stereotype. But rarely have the three collided at the highest levels of leadership, as they have at Linfield University, a small, historically Baptist college in Oregons wine country, which celebrated the appointment of its first Black president in 2018. Baca came under scrutiny most recently earlier this year when former faculty member Daniel Pollack-Pelzner brought to light allegations of harassment and anti-Semitism among Linfield leadership. 4d. While I did not witness any untoward behavior as alleged, I regret that Mr. Jubb was allowed to be in the same setting with a student, Mr. Baca wrote. 13 among all public universities in the United States by Niche, a research company that produces an annual Liked by Kendra (Preugschat) Hill There will be a trial and the facts will be determined by a jury. When asked whether the faculty-handbook procedures had been followed in Pollack-Pelzners firing, Davis said that the handbook had not been updated and that there are a number of things in that handbook that are not valid. The handbook says Fall 2020" on its title page, and the most recent update was in January of this year. But the committee disclosed that a faculty member in February accused one trustee of inappropriate touching of the shoulder and another trustee of inappropriate touching of the leg. The committee didnt name the trustees and said an outside investigator is looking into the complaint. Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan are reviving it. Dr. Vivian Ann (Johnson) Bull of Madison, New Jersey, a former college president and professor, and a recognized authority on the Middle East economic issues, died Aug. 12. He said racial bias might be a factor in the accusations. 510 Walnut St. | Suite 1250 So which is it? In an effort to squelch criticism, the colleges administrators caught the attention of major defenders of academic freedom, as well as the Anti-Defamation League. Kerry Carmody, the board's vice chair, was named . 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