Episode 109 Audio: Ken Roth

Ken Roth is joining the show this week to discuss how he lost a fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School for reporting on human rights abuses. What Ken, the “godfather of human rights,” experienced when the Kennedy School found out about his criticism of Israel is a powerful lesson in the repression of dissent at elite institutions.

Larry Summers, Alan Dershowitz, Steven Pinker: Harvard refuses to remove these people from its payroll regardless of their extremely public links to Jeffrey Epstein, allegations of sexual abuse, the list goes on and on. Students recently walked out of a Harvard classroom to protest the school’s continued employment of John Comaroff, who has been accused of sexual misconduct (accusations that Harvard then failed to do anything about, and is now facing a lawsuit for this mishandling). When it comes to employing people who may put students in danger instead of teaching them, the university doesn’t back down. But when it comes to reporting on human rights abuses, when that reporting challenges the status quo, the school — like so many other powerful organizations — isn’t above blacklisting.

Kenneth Roth @KenRoth

If only it were a trend for universities to protect academic freedom even in the face of pressure to suppress views that some sectors dislike. The problem is real. A firmer university commitment is needed for the solution.

trib.alAbcarian: Two universities that tried to squelch academic freedom have backtracked. Here’s hoping that’s a trendTwo cases of reflexive censure reversed: Harvard re-invites an Israel critic to take a fellowship. Hamline University regrets calling an art historian ‘Islamophobic.’

We’re grateful to Ken for coming on the show, talking to us about his story, and helping us understand how those who speak out about human rights abuses in Israel are regularly silenced. Thanks for tuning in for this important conversation. You can listen to this episode as a podcast on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.