Based on that investigation, the NAACP criticized the ADL and Oregon Board of Rabbis for calling on Davis to resign. gave support to his account of racial bias, releasing a report that praised Dr. Daviss leadership and said he had been subjected to unfair personal attacks because of his race. The Office of Alumni Engagement Melrose Hall 503-883-2547 alumni@linfield.edu Meet our team ( JTA) In the latest developments in an ongoing controversy at Linfield University over the firing of a tenured Jewish professor who accused the school of antisemitism, a report from the. Faces of Research: Meet Aaron Stebner - February 13, 2023. The handbook was last updated in January of this year, according to the Chronicle. According to The Oregonian, the university has hosed down sidewalk-chalk messages supporting Pelzner, threatening the students who wrote them with fines, and has torn down flyers criticizing his termination. The FIRE Legal Network is a nationwide group of attorneys to whom we refer cases when counsel is necessary and the matter at issue falls outside the scope of FIREs mission or ability to assist. Dies geschieht in Ihren Datenschutzeinstellungen. Kerry Carmody, the boards vice chair, was named interim chair, effective Oct.1. The local ADL representative did not respond to a call for comment on Friday. In a statement, the university said Dr. Pollack-Pelzner had been fired for cause., He has engaged in conduct that is harmful to the university; deliberately violated instructions to preserve the attorney-client privilege, and deliberately circulated false statements about the university, its employees and its board and refused to comply with university policies, the statement said. Baca has been on the board for13 years. Linfield University locations: McMinnville Campus 900 SE Baker Street McMinnville, Oregon 97128 503-883-2200. According to the school spokesman, Baca purposefully sat next to Jubb at the bar in 2019 when he learned the student-trustee also had gone there with Jubb and other trustees. It could hardly be clearer. He said he would leave if my departure would benefit the university.. In fact, there is one felony charge against Jubb, along with seven counts of third-degree sexual abuse, which is a misdemeanor in Oregon. Pollack-Pelzner said he hopes Linfield puts its energy toward building a safer and more supportive community for everyone instead of focusing its energy on him. 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 wrote that he went to the bar because he wanted to keep a watch.. Fill out the form below to receive personalized communications or close this window to continue. There will be a trial and the facts will be determined by a jury. If your rights are in jeopardy, get in touch with us: thefire.org/alarm. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Until then, the self-inflicted damage to Linfields reputation will continue to flow. President Davis has been accused of being divisive, intimidating, combative, aggressive, disrespectful and abusive. 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.. Some of those counts relate to a female Linfield student who filed a federal lawsuit in 2019 stating that Jubb had sexually assaulted her, inappropriately touching and grabbing her without her consent. Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. If you face retaliation over protected speech, reach out to FIRE to learn more about how we can protect your rights. Linfield President Davis said in a statement that Carmody has the experience and enthusiasm to lead Linfield through this period of transformation and growth., He continued: He will bring fresh ideas and perspectives and shares our commitment to re-envisioning learning, challenging students to explore greater possibilities and building a welcoming and supportive community.. $2.3B Qcells Solar Power Investment Holds Major Potential for Georgia - January 26, 2023. Linfield University canceled faculty Listservs over the weekend, sparking faculty cries of censorship. Linfield President Miles Davis said in a responding letter that the professors tweets were part of a smear campaign against university administration. Pioneer Hall is seen through the signature oak trees at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., Tuesday, May 21, 2019. 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 controversies have played out for months in a federal lawsuit filed by a student, through public statements from faculty members and leaders, student protests, and votes of no confidence. 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.. How Oregon researchers are testing 3D printing to reconstruct bone. Its just devastating, Dr. Pollack-Pelzner said, adding that he had spoken publicly in his capacity as a faculty trustee who had received complaints from students and colleagues. ", executive assistant to Susan Agre-Kippenhan, Linfield University: Tenured Professor Terminated Without Due Process for Criticizing University, Stanford professors stand up for free speech culture with petition to end bias reporting system, FIRE reminds Supreme Court the First Amendment is top dog, REPORT: Faculty members more likely to self-censor today than during McCarthy era, FIRE, NCAC object after State College of Florida censors art exhibit, Nobody said defending free speech was easy, Penn Law dean asks for major sanction against professor Amy Wax, creating tenure threat for all Penn faculty, AAUP censures Linfield University for blatant academic freedom violations, Fired for criticizing his administration and discussing racism, Indiana professor sues, FIRE, PEN America, condemn new rule forcing some Mississippi universities to consider collegiality in tenure review. In another incident, Dr. Friedman reported that Dr. Davis had come up from behind her after a panel discussion in 2018 and had rubbed his hands up and down her arms while whispering that he was looking forward to meeting her later, she said. Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan are reviving it. Regardless, I asked for and received his resignation from the Board.. And as for whether this handbook had been approved by Linfields administration? Last year, Linfields faculty assembly voted it had no confidence in Baca, specifically in his ability to handle sexual harassment reporting, according to reporting from Linfields student newspaper The Linfield Review. Pioneer Hall is the oldest building on the Linfield campus, constructed in 1881. Research Reveals Thermal Instability of Solar Cells but Offers a Bright Path Forward - February 14, 2023. The two statements are the latest developments in a controversy that has roiled the McMinnville campus for months. 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. Most important, you should know that Professor Pollack-Pelzner has been engaged in a smear campaign toward me and the administration at Linfield University, Davis wrote. But he pushed back hard on the allegations surfaced recently by Pollack-Pelzner. Although he is stepping down as chair, Baca will still serve on the board. 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. Mr. Jubb has pleaded not guilty and his case is scheduled for trial in November, his lawyer said. 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. A Linfield graduate, who agreed to be identified by her initials A.K., told the newspaper in May that the school failed to intervene as promised after she reported in 2018 that Jubb allegedly groped her and two other students after drinking too much at a bar following a senior achievement dinner on campus in 2017. Learn with FIRE provides learners with the opportunity to take courses on a wide range of topics, including free speech and due process, designed by our expert staff. Miles K. Davis, president of Linfield University, a long-ingrained American response to look away, The fallout across industries has been swift. 8025 Linfield Way #1, Atlanta GA, is a Townhouse home that contains 2509 sq ft and was built in 2020.It contains 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. Linfield is inventing policies on the fly to justify its retaliation against a tenured faculty member. Several professors have of late used mass emails or publicly criticized the university for what they describe as Linfields poor handling of several sexual misconduct complaints involving members of the Board of Trustees. Linfields faculty handbook requires a lengthy process, including two formal hearings, before a professor with tenure can be fired procedures that have not been followed in this case. According to the Chronicle: In an interview, Agre-Kippenhan said that Pollack-Pelzner had been fired from the university under his status as an employee, not as a tenured professor, and that the faculty handbook needed to be revised because many of the provisions in it were not entirely useful.. In doing so, it said, he was insubordinate and interfered with the universitys administration of its responsibilities.. Dr. Pollack-Pelzner, who was hired by the university in 2010 and has written about theater and the arts as a contributor for The New York Times, said he had been fired without a hearing or any of the other due process protections normally granted to tenured faculty members. He said the university had ordered Mr. Jubb to stop fraternizing with students after he was first accused of misconduct in 2018. Be a part of it! 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. He has denied the students allegations, Baca wrote. The indictment came after a student trustee filed a federal lawsuit in which she accused Mr. Jubb, 72, of assaulting her after a faculty-trustee dinner. 510 Walnut St. | Suite 1250 Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The Linfield Curriculum The core general-education courses teach critical thinking and communication skills and provide a rich, broad experience. 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. Kerry Carmody, the board's vice chair, was named . The justifications offered by Linfields leadership to the Chronicle are incoherent. The local chapter of the ADL sent a letter Wednesday calling on Davis to resign to allow the community to heal. The Oregon Board of Rabbis had previously called on Davis to step down. Last year, controversy broke out again after a viral column in JCU's student newspaper posited that the show represented "the deviant entertainment of misguided young people." The column prompted widespread debate about free speech and LGBTQ inclusivity on campus, as well as an administrative investigation into the author of the critical column. 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. You are now subscribed to FIRE Updates. 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. Multiple organizations, including the Oregon Board of Rabbis, called for both Baca and university president Miles Davis to resign. A student walks out of the Riley Center on the campus of Linfield University in McMinnville, Ore., Tuesday, May 21, 2019. 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. FIRE files an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold the First Amendment rights of a dog-toy maker to parody a famous whiskey brand and to adopt a test that protects free expression against overzealous trademark owners, including colleges and universities. Linfield University is affiliated with American Baptist Churches, USA. He also insisted that the remark was part of an academic discussion and wasnt meant to be offensive. Review Beyond the Classroom Academic Opportunities Learning at Linfield spans well beyond the traditional classroom setting. I havent seen any indication that people in positions of power at Linfield want to hold themselves accountable., Other organizations have also come out in Pollack-Pelzners defense. Faculty supported the motion 88 to 18. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,499/mo, which has decreased by $500/mo in the last 30 days. Durch Klicken auf Alle akzeptieren erklren Sie sich damit einverstanden, dass Yahoo und unsere Partner Ihre personenbezogenen Daten verarbeiten und Technologien wie Cookies nutzen, um personalisierte Anzeigen und Inhalte zu zeigen, zur Messung von Anzeigen und Inhalten, um mehr ber die Zielgruppe zu erfahren sowie fr die Entwicklung von Produkten. 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. Lorraine Hansberrys second play had a white Jewish protagonist. Students and alumni have condemned the firing, and more than 1,000 professors from the United States, Canada and other countries have signed a letter saying the universitys action could eviscerate the foundational principles of both free speech and of faculty governance on university campuses., They have fired the whistle-blower, said Jamie Friedman, an associate professor of English, who had accused Dr. Davis and another trustee of touching her inappropriately at university events. About a month after his widely shared Twitter thread, Pollack-Pelzner was let go so abruptly that he learned of it only when he was locked out of Linfields email system. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. Its retaliatory in the extreme.. The university exists as a powerful reminder that threats to academic freedom often come not from ideologues but from administrators who fear criticism and have no business running a university. Last week Linfield professor and faculty trustee Daniel Pollack-Pelzner tweeted that he faced antisemitic comments after he reported that multiple members of the universitys Board of Trustees had been accused of sexual misconduct by students and faculty over the past year. Perhaps Davis shifted to the remark about the trustee because he conceded to the Chronicle that he had, in fact, made the remark about Jewish noses that Pollack-Pelzner had alleged: A campus investigation last August into the nose comment, along with other matters, called it a he said, he said situation and stated that Davis had denied saying it. Students as well as fellow academics are also protesting the decision by Linfield University, a Baptist-affiliated school with some 2,000 students, to fire Daniel Pollack-Pelzner. 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. The Zestimate for this Townhouse is $559,300, which has decreased by $54,929 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Townhouse is $3,499/mo, which has decreased by $247/mo in the last 30 days. said Dr. Davis had contacted it last month with concerns about racial bias. 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. Pollack-Pelzners interpretation of what Davis meant is a matter of opinion, not fact, and remains protected speech. Linfield University, a liberal arts college in Oregon, claims repeatedly in its faculty handbook to honor academic freedom. After 13 years on the Board and four years as chair, Dave decided it was in Linfields best interest that he step down and allow new leaders to come to the forefront, Scott Nelson, university spokesman, told The Oregonian. (JTA) In the latest developments in an ongoing controversy at Linfield University over the firing of a tenured Jewish professor who accused the school of anti-Semitism, a report from the. The NAACP report, published Friday and sent to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, says Davis was treated unfairly due to racism at the school. In response, he said, Mr. Baca, the board chairman, accused me a Jewish trustee of harboring a secret agenda to grab power.. 14, 2023 Listservs over the weekend, sparking faculty cries of censorship on Davis to resign allegations, will. Wanted to keep a watch Churches, USA K. Davis, president of linfield University locations: McMinnville campus SE... Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week, including the Oregon Board Rabbis... 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