As a staff, the Nashman Center has been discussing this recent article, from the American Association of University Professors, which shares the story of a faculty member who, intending to inform public discourse by providing data from his field of expertise, became the target of an online attack from an online hate group intentionally aimed at affecting his employment.
While we do not believe this threat is common, it is a concern which may spark future conversations for faculty whose community-based research and teaching may bring their work to the attention of hate groups. We do believe it is important to educate for democracy, particularly in today's political climate, and you should feel safe to do so at GW. We are very interested in your reaction to these pieces, this issue, and your interest in continued discussions about how politics affects academic freedom. Please send your thoughts to Wendy Wagner, wagnerw@gwu.edu.
