13 among all public universities in the United States by Niche, a research company that produces an annual Liked by Kendra (Preugschat) Hill A petition protesting the firing has now been signed by hundreds of other faculty members across the country and around the world. Pollack-Pelzner said he believed the antisemitism was partly in response to his asking the school to do more to address allegations of sexual assault. It becomes an echo chamber that I have to spend my time defending, as opposed to looking at the scope of my lifes work, he said. The university said he had vigorously denied the allegations. Rabbi Eve Posen, president of the Oregon Board of Rabbis, told JTA that the Oregon Board of Rabbis is interested and would be more than happy to work with the NAACP, but did not elaborate. Linfield University locations: McMinnville Campus 900 SE Baker Street McMinnville, Oregon 97128 503-883-2200. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found itself at the center of a national controversy in May, when news broke that the UNC board of trustees diverted from the normal tenure process and declined to consider tenure for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, despite a faculty recommendation that she be hired with tenure. The Save Our Linfield nonprofit has raised more than $10,000 for a legal defense fund for . Until then, it may be unwise in defending against accusations that the university mishandled allegations of sexual misconduct to summarily terminate a tenured faculty member because he got the number of felony sexual assault counts wrong. Pollack-Pelzners interpretation of what Davis meant is a matter of opinion, not fact, and remains protected speech. The boards vice-chair, Kerry Carmody, will become interim chair on Oct. 1. Linfield stands against xenophobia, racism, antisemitism and sexual misconduct in all forms.. Why didnt his obituaries say so? Faces of Research: Meet Aaron Stebner - February 13, 2023. Police, security agencies advise Jews to be on alert ahead of planned National Day of Hate on Shabbat, American citizen killed in latest West Bank shooting amid escalating violence, This Orthodox Jewish model made history at New York Fashion Week. Academic freedom and freedom of inquiry are values to which Linfield University subscribes., But Linfields despotic administration has effectively renounced this statement in favor of a pithier one: Snitches get stitches.. Linfield has extensive and robust programs to educate and train students, faculty and staff on matters of discrimination, sexual harassment and misconduct, and intolerance, Davis wrote. 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. On Friday, the local branch of the N.A.A.C.P. In February 2019 after a faculty-trustee dinner, Jubb is accused of sexually abusing student-trustee AnnaMarie Motis as the two waited for a ride in the lobby of Michelbook Country Club and then at a McMinnville bar where trustees had gone for after-dinner drinks. Linfield laid this, and other allegations, out in a statement last year from the Executive Committee of the universitys board of trustees. Nor is this a policy that somehow escaped the administrations approval: It has been in Linfields faculty handbook since at least 2013. The ADL, the report says, failed to conduct any independent investigation, preferring to simply believe the complaint despite the fact the University had already conducted an independent review. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. No competent university leader could credibly believe that tenured faculty are at-will employees. Davis also noted that two of the trustees who were accused of sexual misconduct are African-American. Longtime trustee David Jubb, who left the board in June 2019, is accused of sexually abusing four different students, including a student trustee last year. We've also seen the firings of two faculty members at Collin College for criticizing their administration about their COVID-19 reopening plans, . Additionally, the ADL encouraged Linfield leadership to attend trainings on bias and antisemitism. Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan are reviving it. In interviews this week, Dr. Davis and the board chairman, David Baca, denied any wrongdoing. 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. Lorraine Hansberrys second play had a white Jewish protagonist. Baca was with the group at the bar. Feb . Dr. Davis said that an investigation had reached the same conclusion about the accusations against Mr. Nixon, who could not be reached. Im trying to figure out what my options are. Pollack-Pelzner said he doesnt know what his next steps will be, and that he isnt sure how he could persuade the administration to follow the guidelines in the handbook. Dave decided it was in Linfields best interest that he step down and allow new leaders to come to the forefront, Linfield spokesperson Scott Nelson said in a statement. How Oregon researchers are testing 3D printing to reconstruct bone. The handbook needs to be revised or it was never approved? (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 local branch of the NAACP found that the Oregon schools president was subjected to racism at the school. We find that President Davis has been subject to numerous instances of unfair treatment since his arrival in July 2018, and this unfair treatment of personal attacks were due to being a Black man, the report says. 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. In a long March 29 Twitter thread, Pollack-Pelzner claimed that Board Chair David Baca told him that the Board never had a problem until [Pollack-Pelzner] became a trustee. He says that Linfields President, Miles K. Davis, told him that he was putting Linfield at risk by reporting claims of sexual misconduct, threatened [Pollack-Pelzner] with personal liability, and claimed that people like [Pollack-Pelzner] were destroying [Linfield] from within and could only show loyalty by accepting the teachings of Jesus Christ. Pollack-Pelzner is Jewish. 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. That is our challenge and our charge.. The local ADL representative did not respond to a call for comment on Friday. 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. Allegations of anti-Semitism, sexual misconduct and racial discrimination have led to turmoil on the small Oregon campus. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Recently, two psychology professors, Tanya Tompkins and Jennifer Linder, said that Dr. Davis had made a comment about the Holocaust during a department meeting in 2018. He said the university had ordered Mr. Jubb to stop fraternizing with students after he was first accused of misconduct in 2018. 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.. 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. College faculty overwhelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in Baca on May 26, finding he failed to protect students after receiving a complaint in 2018 from a graduate who accused Jubb of sexually abusing her and two of her friends the prior year. But Pollack-Pelzner told JTA that theres a real issue of institutional racism at Linfield and said that allegations against white members of the board had never been investigated, while allegations against Black members had been. One of those reports included former board member David Jubb, who was indicted last year on eight counts seven counts of third-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree sexual abuse. The Rent Zestimate for this home is $3,499/mo, which has decreased by $500/mo in the last 30 days. And where exploring your passions uncovers a lifetime of success. We . The outside investigator found the faculty members report to be substantiated by a preponderance of the evidence, but said that it did not rise to the level of violating Linfields harassment or Title IX policy. It is exciting to be part of Linfield during this time of evolution and progress, and I look forward to working with faculty, staff, administration and the Linfield community as we design and begin our new strategic planning process, Carmody said in a statement. Davis said he didnt remember Pollack-Pelzners mentioning he was Jewish. 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. He has denied the students allegations, Baca wrote. Miles K. Davis, president of Linfield University, a long-ingrained American response to look away, The fallout across industries has been swift. I am honored to serve this great institution as Interim Chair. Explore the scintillating March 2023 issue of Commentary. 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 its logic more closely resembles spammy Internet advertising than a coherent application of law or policy: Tenured Faculty Members Hate This One Weird Trick! One of those trustees resigned in 2019 and has been charged with sexual abuse. 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. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. 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. And because of the incompetent despotism of some of its leaders, Linfield is now a national story. Linfield - Nursing is a private university located in Portland, Oregon. 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. Lost your password? 2023 jewish telegraphic agency all rights reserved. Dr. Pollack-Pelzner said he had taken the letter as a personal attack, adding that he had been ordered not to talk about sexual misconduct outside of executive session and had then been banned from attending the sessions and finally fired after speaking out on Twitter. 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. Linfield President Miles Davis said in a responding letter that the professors tweets were part of a smear campaign against university administration. Mr. Jubb has pleaded not guilty and his case is scheduled for trial in November, his lawyer said. Linfield University. If Davis believes that Linfield can prove that Pollack-Pelzner violated university policy, he should submit that question to an unbiased faculty committee, as due process requires. 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. 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. Reportedly, campus security had entered faculty offices and removed posters in support of Pollack-Pelzner.. Last week Linfield professor and faculty trustee Daniel Pollack-Pelzner tweeted that he faced antisemitic comments after he reported that multiple members of the university's Board of Trustees. As FIRE detailed yesterday, Linfield University's senior leadership abruptly terminated Daniel Pollack-Pelzner after he criticized the university's 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." Resources for faculty and staff from our partners at Times Higher Education. In an interview on Friday, Mr. Baca acknowledged mentioning a power grab in a long and contentious discussion but said he had not known that Dr. Pollack-Pelzner was Jewish or that the comment could be construed as anti-Semitic. It . This is purportedly an example as Linfield said in response to media inquiries of the conduct that is harmful to the university that necessitated Pollack-Pelzners immediate termination, but its not clear what the universitys interest is at all. Student Life With Linfield . It contains 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Linfield University has agreed to pay just over $1 million to settle a whistleblower suit filed by tenured English professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, who accused the university of firing him. 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. 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. Across the country, colleges and universities have been wrestling with allegations of sexual misconduct, racial discrimination and anti-Semitism. 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. In addition, the schools president, Miles K. Davis, told the Chronicle of Higher Education that he had in fact made a comment about the size of Jewish noses to Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, the professor who was fired this week. Pollack-Pelzner, an English literature professor who had tenure, was fired Tuesday after he and others publicly accused Linfield President Miles K. Davis of making multiple antisemitic comments, including about Jewish noses as well as the Holocaust. 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.. 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. The president said that it had nothing to do with his fitness as a teacher or a researcher (though thats the standard, according to the faculty handbook). 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.. He said Pollack-Pelzners firing was a personnel issue that Im not a party to and I have no opinion one way or the other about it., Pollack-Pelzners firing has led to an outcry among professors worldwide. He also insisted that the remark was part of an academic discussion and wasnt meant to be offensive. Pollack-Pelzner and two other professors accused Davis of making antisemitic comments about Jewish noses and the Holocaust, but Davis denied the allegations. Carmody has been on the board since 2008. While we have strong disagreements with much of the media (and social media) speculation, we do not believe further argument in the press are an appropriate avenue for community healing.. According to the summary of the independent investigation of that report, which was provided to OPB, Davis had approached the faculty member from behind, and rubbed his hands up and down the professors arms while saying he looked forward to a scheduled meeting. By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org. How Oregon researchers are testing 3D printing to reconstruct bone. Linfield - Nursing alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $47,300. 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. .. Why didnt his obituaries say so leaders, linfield is now a national story Linfields... 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