Hirings raise questions

I was shocked to see Van Jones was hired as a visiting fellow (Notebook, March 17). He was not fired from the Obama administration merely because of his political activities, but mainly because he told a bald-faced lie about 9-11. He said the Bush administration had planned it so they could go to war. Technically he resigned, but apparently was asked to leave because he was an embarrassment to the Obama administration. What are his academic credentials? Does he have an advanced degree?

Also, Professor Cornel West *80 was a dubious hire. He was eased out of Harvard because he had not published any sound academic articles in years, and was cutting his classes to campaign for Al Sharpton.

But most important of all, Princeton is doing a disservice to the students in the African-American studies program. They deserve top-notch black professors, not these two.