Dear Penners: This is a bit off our subject but it pertains to academic freedom issues.
I am teaching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice -- of the City University of New York -- CUNY this year. The faculty senate of John Jay unanimously recommended that TONY KUSHNER, the outstanding playwright, receive an Honorary Doctorate. The Administration heartily approved and Mr. Kushner graciously accepted. (He had spoken last February at John Jay as part of a lecture series on the 1950s -- he had been extremely generous with his time particularly with a whole group of students who stayed around afterwards to talk with him). Then a political hack from the George Pataki Administration who is serving on the Board of Trustees made a 4 minute speech attacking Kushner (incorrectly by the way) for being "anti-Israel". He did this at the Board of Trustees of CUNY meeting that was supposed to give its approval to the entire slate of CUNY honorary degree recipients. Astonishingly, the usual rubber stamp of approval was not forthcoming. (This had never been done before in all the years of CUNY's existence -- since 1961) FOUR TRUSTEES, without a word of discussion to respond to the diatribe by the speaker -- without Kushner or any of his supporters (the head of the Faculty Senate at John Jay was there but no one is permitted to speak except for the BOard Members) being able to say a word in his defense -- voted against approving the ENTIRE SLATE of honorees. Then ELEVEN voted to Table Kushner's degree so they could pass positively on the rest. Totally disgusting. I paste here three interesting NY Times articles --- one of which has the names of the four other trustees who joined with the individual who, in a clearly unguarded moment, asserted that Palestinians were not human. All praise to former NY Mayor Ed Koch who many of us probably do not like very much -- on this one he's on the side of the angels! I hope any PENNERS so moved will write to the Chancellor of the City University of New York demanding the Board reverse itself. Three articles here --- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/nyregion/cuny-blocks-honor-for-tony-kushner.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=TONY%20KUSHNER&st=cse http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/nyregion/opponent-of-honor-for-tony-kushner-criticizes-palestinians.html?scp=3&sq=TONY%20KUSHNER&st=cse http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/06/nyregion/cuny-vote-not-to-honor-kushner-is-criticized.html?scp=5&sq=TONY%20KUSHNER&st=cse Thanks for allowing this on the network. Mike
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