Dartmouth Divided On Promotion Of Israel-Boycotting Prof

LISTEN TO TLR’S LATEST PODCAST:

By Rob Shimshock

Faculty at Dartmouth College protested the appointment of a supporter of the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment (BDS) movement, which targets companies that aid Israel, to the position of faculty head last week.

Dartmouth economics professor Alan Gustman criticized the choice to appoint Bruce Duthu, who teaches Native American studies and supports the BDS movement, to dean of faculty at Dartmouth in a faculty-wide email sent last week, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

“I have no reason to believe that Professor Duthu is anti-Semitic,” wrote Gustman in his email. “His friends and colleagues do not consider him to be anti-Semitic, and are sincere in their opinions. What is relevant here is that he is supporting a movement that is substantially anti-Semitic, and that he has taken a position with regard to the BDS movement that is in opposition to the position and responsibilities he will have as Dean of the Faculty.”

“Professor Duthu should either publicly disavow the full ramifications of the BDS positions he has publicly endorsed, or resign his position as Dean and return to his faculty position where expression of these views is sanctioned as academic freedom, but is not representative of Dartmouth College or its faculty.”

In the announcement of Duthu’s appointment, Dartmouth President Phil Hanlon commended the professor’s academic talents.

“Bruce [Duthu] is an exemplary teacher and scholar who has dedicated himself to supporting our students and, as associate dean, has engaged meaningfully with faculty,” said Hanlon. “I look forward to working with him as we strengthen academic excellence and a culture of interdisciplinary creativity at Dartmouth.”

Gustman forwarded a statement on Duthu from Dartmouth’s Office of the President to The Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Bruce Duthu has been instrumental in making Jewish Studies a success on campus,” reads the statement. “He has facilitated the often complex arrangements to bring visiting professors from Israeli universities to teach at Dartmouth.”

The Office of the President also states that Duthu has support from Dartmouth’s Jewish Studies leadership.

“The President has chosen to ignore Professor Duthu’s public advocacy of BDS as posted in his statement of advocacy of BDS on the NAISA website,” said Gustman in a reply forwarded to The DCNF.

The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to Duthu and Dartmouth for comment, but received none in time for publication.