In Response to: Free Speech at Princeton

There is one aspect of free speech rarely addressed except by academics amongst themselves. It has to do with how faculty are recruited and hired. At the best schools the faculty plays the largest part in the process, but not infrequently various ideological causes take precedence over mere scholarly prominence in decisions, especially outside of the hard sciences. I for about 38 years participated in such recruitments and hirings, and I was often dismayed at how much ideological prejudice and commitment often overrode more scholarly criteria. I could give examples, but won't, that would make your hair stand on end. Free speech also means freedom to teach as you believe, based on objective standards of scholarship and evidence -- not freedom to use your position as a lectern for doubtful causes, something that today we might call Fake Scholarship, in line with Fake News so-called.

Norman Ravitch *62
Savannah, Ga.