Restore Academic Freedom at Roosevelt University

To:  Charles Middleton, President of Roosevelt University; Pamela Reid, Provost of Roosevelt University; and the Board of Trustees of Roosevelt University

On behalf of faculty, students, and concerned people everywhere, we are deeply disturbed and protest in the strongest possible terms Roosevelt University’s gross and blatant violation of academic freedom against a philosophy and religion professor and his students.

Professor Douglas Giles was fired for allowing students in his comparative religions class to ask questions about Judaism and Islam and for refusing to teach a biased curriculum. Roosevelt’s department chair forbade Professor Giles from allowing students to ask questions, saying open discussion could “open up Judaism to criticism.” The chair also told Professor Giles to alter his curriculum to fit the chair’s personal religious and political views, saying that Palestinians and Muslims were “animals” who “do not have a side.” Professor Giles refused and was fired.

Roosevelt has never once denied or disavowed the chair’s statements and actions. Instead, Roosevelt has condoned and defended her attempts to restrict the curriculum and student discussion and have characterized her statements about Palestinians and Muslims as an “academic discussion” in which she was “defending her position passionately.”

Roosevelt’s treatment of Professor Giles and his students violates accepted standards of academic freedom. To close off student discussion, especially in a philosophy or religion class, is completely inappropriate and outrageous. Roosevelt University was founded to be an institution dedicated to civil liberties, social justice, and free ideological expression, and this recent episode reflects poorly on that proud tradition.

We demand that Roosevelt University uphold the right of students and faculty to freely formulate, express, and debate ideas in and out of the classroom. We further demand that Professor Douglas Giles be reinstated immediately at Roosevelt University and in all ways made whole, as he is a supporter of these very ideals.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Restore Academic Freedom at Roosevelt University Petition to Charles Middleton, President of Roosevelt University; Pamela Reid, Provost of Roosevelt University; and the Board of Trustees of Roosevelt University was created by and written by Paula Bargiel (pbargiel1@yahoo.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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