According to Lawrence Bobo, Dean of Social Science,” the truth is that free talk has limitations.”
A Harvard University dean advises notable academics to be wary of what they say, as it could deter legislative scrutiny and cost the institution money.
Additionally, he suggested that faculty members face sanctions for making their opinions public in an article titled” Faculty statement must have boundaries.”
Lawrence Bobo, the Dean of Social Science, explained why on Saturday in The Harvard Crimson.
” Is it outside the limitations of appropriate professional do for a faculty member to excoriate University management, faculty, staff, or students with the intention to arouse outside intervention into University company”, he asked. And does the widespread publication of such views cross a line into professional conduct that can be deemed to be inadmissible?
” Yes it is and yes it does”, he said.
The first question came after Bobo wrote of “prominent affiliates, including one former University president ,]who] publicly denounced Harvard’s students and present leadership”.
That “former University president”, is probably Lawrence Summers, who has been critical of Harvard’s response to antisemitism.
Bobo wrote further:
Any university that wants to advance the freedom of expression should anticipate and encourage vigorous debate. But here is the rub: As the events of the past year evidence, sharply critical speech from faculty, prominent ones especially, can attract outside attention that directly impedes the University’s function.
A faculty member’s right to free speech does not amount to a blank check to engage in behaviors that plainly incite external actors — be it the media, alumni, donors, federal agencies, or the government — to intervene in Harvard’s affairs. With the right to free expression and tenure protection comes a duty to use good professional judgment and to refrain from taking conscious actions that would seriously impair the University and its autonomy.
Samuel Abrams, a professor at Sarah Lawrence College, and Steve McGuire, a member of the American Council of Alumni and Trustees, both criticized the comments.
In Minding the Campus, the pair wrote that Harvard is being subjected to” a lot of scrutiny and suffering a reputation crisis because it has proven itself to be morally and intellectually corrupt.” Bobo should have acknowledged this.
Instead,” Professor Bobo thinks the way to restore calm to campus is to weaken the academic freedom of Harvard’s faculty even further”.
The pair noted that the university has frequently punished dissenting views. This includes Carole Hooven, for saying there are two sexes, and Tyler VanderWeele, for defending Biblical marriage.
To that list, let’s add the cancellation of Kit Parker’s community- driven policing class.
Dean Bobo, according to Abrams and McGuire, “participated in the punishment of Professor Roland Fryer, whose academic work Bobo had previously criticized”.
Fryer, a black academic, conducted a study that debunked the claims that racism is behind police shootings. According to previous reports from The Fix, black suspects are less likely than those of other races to be shot.
The pair wrote in response to a sexual harassment investigation that recommended sensitivity training for Professor Fryer, Bobo, and the then-dean of FAS Claudine Gay, who suspended him for two years and shut down his lab.
The notion that Harvard should close its doors and punish faculty members who make public criticism of the university is both perfectly on brand and utterly obtuse, beggars belief.
MORE: Term’ gynecologist’ offensive, according to scholars
IMAGE: Zocalo Public Square/YouTube with College Fix edits
Follow The College Fix on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.
