Incidents like these should be made public.

Some time after the horrific events of September 11, I was contacted by the ombudsman at my university. Two students had accused me of anti-Muslim discrimination.

Nowadays, such false accusations are a dime a dozen. Back then however, this sort of racist slander was quite innovative indeed, making the two hatemongers behind this crap genuine woke pioneers.

What follows is the correspondence between the ombudsman and me (the students' names have been obscured to protect the guilty), as well as the contents of an online blog dedicated to my supposed misdeeds.

Dear Michael,

Thank you for contacting me about this issue. I will interleave my response, addressing each point in turn.

Student XY and student XX allege that you were insensitive on the basis of their religious faith.

When the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan began, they allege that you came to class and said, “I feel like Mr. Rogers today,” in apparent reference to their perception of your giddiness. They allege that you turned to two international students and said, “I bet you guys don't know who Mr. Rogers is.” They also alleged a pattern of verbal put-downs of international students by you which, they allege, created an unwelcoming atmosphere.

I suspect that what I did was take off my cardigan sweater. I naturally thought of Mr. Rogers, and made a joke. When I realized that only Americans would get the joke, I acknowledged that the foreign students probably had no idea what I was talking about. I'm not sure how “giddy” I was on the day in question (although certainly Mr. Rogers is not known for his giddiness), but whatever my level of giddiness, it was surely not related to the American bombing of Afghanistan. Perhaps Mr. XY and Ms. XX weren't aware that I was already on public record in my opposition to a military attack on Afghanistan, having co-signed a letter expressing my opposition which appeared in a number of local papers. Finally, if there was a “pattern of verbal put-downs” of international students, I would need to see documentation. I am not aware of such a pattern, nor has one ever been brought to my attention in the past.

They also allege that you circulated a paper written by XX, in which you whited out all letters except “ass” in her name, and came to class with the distributed paper and told students, “I bet you know who this is.” They supplied a copy of this paper to me.

I'm wondering if Ms. XX told you why I circulated her paper to the class. As she knows, when a homework assignment is particularly outstanding, I make copies for everyone, as an example of what an excellent homework looks like. If Ms. XX didn't tell you this, I am genuinely curious as to why. Regarding the supposed legibility of the letters “A-S-S” from her surname, well, it's perfectly possible that I didn't white out the name completely. I confess I am insufficiently infantile to have noticed that a sub-part of Ms. XX’s surname—the subpart apparently legible—is a slang term for “buttocks.” I am sure I said “I bet you know who this is,” because I assumed Ms. XX would be proud that I was holding her work up as a shining example to the class. I'm sorry if I assumed incorrectly.

On the first day of Ramadan, they allege that you came to class and made a public show of eating sweet tarts. They perceived this as a means to make their religious fasting more difficult.

I'd received a gift of some sort of snack from a student, and I offered some to the class. I'm surprised that Mr. XY and Ms. XX don't recall (or neglected to tell you) that I immediately apologized when they reminded me that it was Ramadan. I apologized exactly for the reason that they surmised—that I feared I was making their fast more difficult.

Perhaps most offensive to them, they allege that when Israeli troops were engaged in battle in Jenin, you wore military fatigues and some kind of actual or mock IDF marking.

I do have a pair of American military trousers that I have occasionally worn to class, though certainly not timed to coordinate with any military action—American, Israeli, Togoan, or otherwise. As you undoubtedly know, the wearing of military fatigues became a common anti-war statement in the 1960s, during our engagement in Vietnam, although I wouldn't expect Mr. XY and Ms. XX to be aware of this. As to the “actual or mock IDF marking,” well, I have absolutely no idea what the IDF symbol is, but more to the point, the trousers I own are simply green without any insignia at all. Based on their report to you, Mr. XY and Ms. XX are apparently well-acquainted with IDF insignias. Perhaps if you talk to them about this issue again they can each, individually, draw a sketch for you of the IDF symbol that they have in mind, and can tell you how the insignia they claim to have seen on my trousers is similar, and exactly where on my trousers this insignia appeared.

I regard the lack of full disclosure on the part of Mr. XY and Ms. XX regarding the context of these “incidents” as curious. Why, for example, didn't Ms. XX tell you that on September 12, 2001, she sent an email to me thanking me for holding class to help take our mind off the events of the previous day, and that I responded, thanking her for her note, and suggesting that she please be careful when going out because there were concerns about stupid fools attacking Arabs and other Middle Easterners. Especially curious is Mr. XY's sudden and heretofore unexpressed sensitivity to ethnic issues. This is, after all, a student who has reportedly come to classes wearing a badge featuring the Star of David X'ed-out. I have not seen this badge, but it sent shock waves through our department. One is consequently forced to wonder whether Mr. XY's accusations against me are perhaps motivated by other factors. I will leave it to you to ponder what these other factors might be.

Finally, I hope that you inform Mr. XY and Ms. XX that I responded to your letter as soon as I received it; there was no delay on my part.

If I may be of any further assistance, please don't hesitate to be in touch.

Yours,

Dan Silverman

Dear Dan:

Thank you for your thorough response. I have put myself in your shoes, to the best of my ability, and realize that it is not pleasant to be the subject of allegations.

I want to join that part of your response that falls under the heading, “why didn't they tell you the rest of the context?” To some, or a considerable extent, they did. We met on two occasions for about three hours. I provided you only a bare summary of the essence of their complaint. (Most of this time was spent dealing with a completely different matter--we discussed the element involving you for about 20 minutes.)

In fact, however, they related to me their sense that September 11 especially pained you because you are connected to New York City. The details escape me, but the point is that that they expressed special sympathy for the strain that September 11 caused you.

Also, you use the expression “infantile” to mean that you didn't think on this level. Whether they are right or wrong, these two students perceived your behaviors as “immature” (a direct quote from my notes)--a point you would probably dispute--but I call attention to this because they did not view your behaviors as mean-spirited.

You mention the business about the anti-Israel button that one or both students wore.

In fact, they raised this matter and were mostly self-critical. They related to me that they underestimated the hurt that these expressions would cause others in your department.

I mention the foregoing because I think there is a way to leave this process with closure and resolution. As a neutral, my sense is that you three have a misunderstanding that is rooted in the highly sensitized political environment that developed after 9-11. I see grounds for you three to exchange answers and personal impressions among yourselves, and to offer apologies for doing or saying things that created unintended perceptions.

Notably, unlike other complainants I have dealt with in this process, XY and XX do not seek anything from you as a remedy--just a better awareness of things you say and do in class.

You do not have to respond to this in any way, but if you want to find some closure here, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks, Dan, and best wishes. I know that you feel pain from this. You response is constructive and helpful. I hope you understand that your students also feel pain and hurt, but are not out to get you.

Michael

I think you're talented at your job. To be frank, more than anguish, this has caused me anger, because all my good intentions have been responded to with accusations of insensitivity. Your response will help the anger subside, and I think before too long I will discuss the issues with the students directly.

One thing: perhaps you can offer some suggestions regarding what I should be aware of in terms of the things I say or do in class. I ask that you don't speak in generalities, but instead address the specific behaviors of mine which prompted their reaction, and tell me how they might offend. Especially, apart from how my behavior might have been perceived, what are the intrinsic qualities of these specific behaviors that prompted their allegations, and how might I change them? I ask you this directly because you mention their concerns that I have a “better awareness of things [I] say and do in class.” I'd appreciate as specific an answer as possible.

Hi Dan:

You, also, are very good.

It is perfectly natural to feel hurt and offended. Still, I see you earnestly interested in trying to understand why this misunderstanding occurred, with an eye toward avoiding a repetition.

This is exactly what the campus policy aims to do: solve problems, rather than apportion blame.

I carried out your instruction to tell XY and XX that you were immediately responsive to their charges, and were just now seeing these for the first time. Also, I think it is useful for them to know that you were not responsible for the delay here.

I want to think more carefully about your questions here, but let me briefly give an initial answer. Listening to XY and XX, I came away with the impression that they are naturally sensitive people. I would even say highly sensitive (though I confess I'd have to put myself in the same category.).

This, combined with the severe strain of 9-11 and subsequent events, had a tremendous magnification effect. I mention this because some things cannot be undone nor remedied. Who was not frazzled and on edge in the days and weeks following 9-11? Who among slept so soundly that we were not prone to misperception or miscommunication?

What I am driving at is that there may be such subtle aspects of your conduct--and just as much with their perception of reality--that are so intertwined with those terrible days and weeks that the same people, with the same behaviors and same way of listening, might not have had any problem at a different time.

I truly mean this.

Anyway, I'll try to come up with a better answer for you.

Again, best wishes. Give yourself time to be hurt and even angry, but don't dwell there.

Ultimately, I think there is an opportunity for blame-free resolution that makes everyone feel better about being in the same department.

Michael

PS: You are prefectly free to approach XY and XX on your own. May I suggest, however, that if you do, you give me a heads-up so that I can tell them you will approach them. I'd like to take any negative element of surprise out of the picture.

It's now been over a year since you told me you would answer my queries concerning the accusations made against me by two students in the linguistics department. I am still hoping for an answer. The question, and your promise of a response follow:

me:

[P]erhaps you can offer some suggestions regarding what I should be aware of in terms of the things I say or do in class. I ask that you don't speak in generalities, but instead address the specific behaviors of mine which prompted their reaction, and tell me how they might offend. Especially, apart from how my behavior might have been perceived, what are the intrinsic qualities of these specific behaviors that prompted their allegations, and how might I change them? I ask you this directly because you mention their concerns that I have a “better awareness of things [I] say and do in class.” I'd appreciate as specific an answer as possible.

you:

I want to think more carefully about your questions here, but let me briefly give an initial answer...

...Anyway, I'll try to come up with a better answer for you.

Dan,

Thanks for your question.

My role in this matter stretched over an extended time, from October 2003 to about March 2004.

My “intake role” eventually resulted in a discussion with the department head about general suggestions to allay the concerns of the two students. The department head indicated to me that he would implement these ideas. The main thrust was to limit faculty interaction in the supervision of these students, since it was clear that a bond of trust was not functioning between these students and some faculty members. The proposed course did not involve any personnel action, i.e., discipline or sensitivity training, or the like.

Following this point, I was in contact with the Provost's office and the students.

The bottom line is that time limits for completing my intake were extended. I do not know what the report date was--it was not handy--but essentially, I was put into wait-and-see mode.

Before the time limits ended, I was contacted by the Provost's Office in this matter. I did not file a formal report but provided a summary of my involvement in the matter.

So, to your question: It is very hard for me to suggest specific remedial behaviors. The students claim that you made insensitive comments in class about the use of military force in Palestinian camps. As my notes show, you deny this. The process does not afford me an opportunity to make credibility judgments. Thus, if your account is true, there is nothing to change; if not, ...

In sum, this is my best sense of how to answer your question, Dan. If you have follow up, feel free to write back.

Michael

Michael,

Dan

This is good to know.

Also to be clear, I am relating this from what is now a distant (and unreliable) memory. As I recall, they said that you wore either a military-style shirt or jacket, perhaps with an IDF symbol, perhaps not (though this is the visual that is in my mind based, again, on a conversation in early October 2002).

I hope this helps.

Michael

Please understand I am not criticizing you. I am criticizing the nature of your office. This is an institutional problem.

Yours,

Dan

Afterward

I was later told by a student that she and other students in the department had been pressured by XX and XY to wear the antisemitic badge to school. I was further told by a colleague that he once took his whole class out for pizza, and that XX and XY formally complained to the Chair, as the restaurant in question served alcohol, and that the professor was consequently directing his Islamophobia toward the two of them.

Another student told me that XX was once incensed when, as she and I we were joking and laughing in the hall one day, I happen to gently pat her on the back. XX told this student that this is taboo behavior. The student protested to her that there’s no reason for me to be aware of such a taboo. XX told her that I’m a Jew and I absolutely should know not to touch her.

Remember: they were pioneers. Adminstrators and campus culture at large had not yet embraced their spirit, and no action was taken against me as a consequence of their smears. Nowadays though (2022), my career may have been jeorpardized.

Shortly after they dropped out of the program, someone (hmm, I wonder who) wrote a blog dedicated to their lies about me. I would certainly win a libel case against the writer(s?), but he/she/they are safely oversees in Kuwait. I should mention that this blog appeared shortly after they prematurely left the department for overseas without completing their studies. Whether they were asked to leave or not, I'm not sure.

Really, it must be read to be (dis)believed.

Click the bus: