Last week, history professor Beverly Gage resigned from her position as director of the university’s prestigious Grand Strategy program and accused Yale of failing to protect academic freedom “amid inappropriate efforts by its donors to influence its curriculum and faculty hiring,” according to The New York Times. That’s just one of the questions being asked after two incidents at Yale University involving high-profile donors and an alumni who sought to exert their influence over matters that are typically left to faculty and administrators.
What good are a university’s speech-protective policies when the people in charge won’t enforce them? (Albert Pego / ) Court filing: Yale’s lawyers make surprising claims about the school’s academic freedom promises While its president publicly boasts of Yale’s commitment to academic freedom, its lawyers tell a federal court those commitments aren’t binding.
In recent court filings, Yale University defends terminating the employment of psychiatry professor Bandy Lee and makes an astounding argument that its promises of academic freedom and freedom of expression are not legally binding.
