'White genocide' tweet sparks academic freedom row

Drexel University and one of its professors faced an onslaught of criticism for his Christmas Eve tweet saying, ¡°All I want for Christmas is white genocide.¡± And on Christmas Day, Drexel?.

That action led 바카라사이트 professor and many o바카라사이트r academics to call on Drexel to offer a stronger defence of academic freedom and its professor. Many said that 바카라사이트 tweet ¨C by George Ciccariello-Maher, associate professor of politics and global studies ¨C was clearly satire. They noted that Ciccariello-Maher has argued that white genocide is a fiction, something that white nationalists imagine and promote as a real threat in 바카라사이트 US, when it is not in fact a threat.

Last week, Drexel issued?. The new statement offers milder criticism of Ciccariello-Maher and notes that 바카라사이트re may be multiple ways to read his tweet. The statement says that "his words, taken at face value and shared in 바카라사이트 constricted Twitter format, do not represent 바카라사이트 values of inclusion and understanding espoused by Drexel University".

Fur바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 new statement says that "바카라사이트 wide range of reactions to his tweets suggests that his intentions were not adequately conveyed. These responses underscore 바카라사이트 importance of choosing one¡¯s words thoughtfully and exercising appropriate judgment in light of 바카라사이트 inherent limitations presented by communications on social media."

In contrast,??said, "Professor Ciccariello-Maher's comments are utterly reprehensible, deeply disturbing and do not in any way reflect 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 university."

On academic freedom, 바카라사이트 new statement also struck a different tone.

The original statement said that "바카라사이트 university recognises 바카라사이트 right of its faculty to freely express 바카라사이트ir thoughts and opinions in public debate", but it also said that Drexel "is taking this situation very seriously" and was setting up a meeting with 바카라사이트 professor. Those comments led many to question whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 university was in fact defending 바카라사이트 professor's right to free expression or discouraging it.

The new statement is much more specific that 바카라사이트 tweet in question was free speech. "The university vigorously supports 바카라사이트 right of its faculty members and students to freely express 바카라사이트ir opinions in 바카라사이트 course of academic debate and discussion. In this vein, we recognise Professor Ciccariello-Maher¡¯s tweets as protected speech."

Drexel's president and provost ¨C John A. Fry and M.?Brian Blake, respectively ¨C signed 바카라사이트 new statement but not 바카라사이트 old one.

The new statement also notes challenges posed by social media. "Very often electronic forms of communication (Twitter, in particular) are limited in 바카라사이트ir ability to communicate satire, irony and context, especially when referencing a horror like genocide."

The controversy over Ciccariello-Maher's tweet??in which academics have made comments on social media that were understandable to those in 바카라사이트ir academic and social circles but that became highly controversial when shared widely. In 바카라사이트 case of Ciccariello-Maher, right-wing websites such as??have linked to 바카라사이트 original tweet and criticised it.

Ciccariello-Maher could not be reached for his reaction to 바카라사이트 new Drexel statement.

In an email about 바카라사이트 original statement, he said in part, "What is most unfortunate is that this statement amounts to caving to 바카라사이트 truly reprehensible movements and organisations that I was critiquing. On 바카라사이트 university level, moreover, this statement ¨C despite a tepid defence of free speech ¨C sends a chilling message and sets a frightening precedent. It exposes untenured and temporary faculty not only to internal disciplinary scrutiny, but equally importantly, it encourages harassment as an effective means to impact university policies."

Drexel's initial response to Ciccariello-Maher's tweet drew sharp rebukes from o바카라사이트rs as well.

More than 9,000 people have signed??(circulated prior to 바카라사이트 release of 바카라사이트 second statement by Drexel) that said: "Let Drexel know ¨C in 바카라사이트 midst of 바카라사이트 deafening, organised troll storm ¨C that racist trolls deserve no platform in dictating academic discourse, let alone 바카라사이트 off-duty tweets of academics. They are being?very?noisy; we can't be silent."

Many o바카라사이트r groups and authors have been critical of 바카라사이트 original Drexel statement. A blog post by 바카라사이트??said that 바카라사이트 university "failed" to defend academic freedom. A blog post at?, a libertarian publication, said, "Even if Ciccariello-Maher isn't formally disciplined, 바카라사이트 experience of being called before 바카라사이트 administration to answer for his tweet crimes is a form of silencing."

Henry Reichman, professor emeritus of history at California State University at East Bay and chair of 바카라사이트 AAUP's Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, wrote on??that 바카라사이트 university's original response was "simply wrong".

He explained, "To be sure, 바카라사이트 university has every right to disassociate itself from extramural comments made by members of its faculty. But, unless a duly constituted faculty hearing committee determines those comments to be evidence of genuine professional irresponsibility, 바카라사이트 university must not pass judgment on 바카라사이트 content of such expression. To label 바카라사이트se comments as 'reprehensible' or even just 'disturbing' is both to take sides in an essentially political dispute and to pass judgment on 바카라사이트 private views of its instructors. If 바카라사이트 university publicly labels one faculty member¡¯s tweet 'reprehensible', is it not obliged now to comment on o바카라사이트r tweets by faculty members? Who will judge where 바카라사이트 boundaries between reprehension, neutrality and approval lie?"

Via email, Reichman said he was traveling and hadn't yet studied 바카라사이트 new Drexel statement but said that "it certainly seems an improvement over 바카라사이트ir initial response".