Maggie's Farm

Just when I thought it couldn’t get more inane, Brooklyn College is exposed for gross negligence in its hiring and supervision of a self-professed pro-Palestinian activist – a grad student himself --  to teach the Politics of the Middle East to other grad students.

As a reporter cites, Kristofer Petersen “makes no secret of his aggressively pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist views.” The report, titled “Drawing Lessons From The Brooklyn College Uproar,” by quoting those directly involved in the hire, makes it evident from the horses' mouths that this hire is a horse’s ass, irresponsible, ignorant and unprofessional.

Although Petersen says of several dozen demonstrators who turned out to support him “he was disappointed that some of his defenders turned their speeches into diatribes against Israel,” Petersen nonetheless addressed them rather than leave. A Commenter to the report lists the virulent hate groups Petersen attracts.

Petersen says he modeled his heavily slanted syllabus on that of a professor of Mideast studies at CUNY’s Graduate Center, who recommended Petersen for the position. That professor, however, told the reporter, “the Israeli-Palestinian portion of his former student’s syllabus is different from his own and that Petersen-Overton includes some scholars he would never use in his own class.” He cites Edward Said, “not a Mideast scholar…much more political advocacy than scholarship”; Noam Chomsky, “a linguist, not an expert on the Mideast”; Ilan Pappe “sees himself as an advocate” not an objective historian. That professor says, “many of them should be balanced with others”.  But they aren’t. This professor advised Petersen to keep his own views to himself, “but [the reporter sums up] this former student takes the opposite approach.” The recommending professor knew better but didn't act upon it.

Although the PoliSci professor who hired Petersen argued that he should be rehired after he was terminated, that professor says the “Israeli-Palestinian conflict [is] a subject with which Ungar isn’t familiar.” So, where was his competence to hire Petersen?

Another senior professor at the college says “academic freedom for adjuncts should begin once they distribute their syllabus – but not beforehand. ‘The department has influence, if not control, over the structure of the course, including readings and the topics to be covered.’ “ Instead, the PoliSci department abdicated its responsibility.

The report ends with this choice double-talk by Petersen of his slanted course: “Asked whether he sees himself as a scholar or an activist, the professor said he regards himself ‘as a scholar in my scholarly work and as an activist in my activist work. The answer would be both.' ”

Petersen, also, has a Brooklyn Bridge to sell.  This gross negligence at Brooklyn College is a disgrace. If there’s a lesson to be learned, Brooklyn College must exercise proper vetting and supervision in its classrooms. Anything less would be another Brooklyn Bridge for sale on campus. Academic negligence, and slant, cannot be hidden behind or excused by chanting academic freedom.