CAMERA on Campus denounces the unprofessional and abusive ad hominem attacks on a Jewish student by Indiana University associate professor Benjamin Robinson in The Herald-Times.
On December 8, an Indiana University student authored an article at The Herald-Times expressing concerns over the actions and rhetoric of anti-Israel extremists on campus. The article carefully laid out why she felt the rhetoric and symbolism being used was antisemitic. In doing so, the student exemplified the type of behavior society expects from university students: critical thinking, reasoned debate, and civil dialogue.
A week later, the same paper published a response to the article by Robinson. Instead of engaging with the issues raised by the student, Robinson resorted to ad hominem attacks, baselessly attributing malicious motives and beliefs to the student. Such rhetoric directed by a professor against a student is particularly deplorable. Given the increasingly hostile environment for Jewish students on campuses, including at Indiana University, faculty should be promoting respectful discourse, not personal attacks.
We call on university administrators to condemn Robinson’s behavior and to take any appropriate disciplinary action. Furthermore, we call on the university to take tangible action toward reestablishing a respectful environment conducive to higher learning and open dialogue for all community members, including Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
Read more at CAMERA.org.
