You may remember Joy Karega, the Oberlin College “Social Justice Writing” Professor who put numerous anti-Semitic posts and graphics on Facebook.
Karega was a supporter of the anti-Israel boycott movement, and hosted an event promoting BDS right around the time the controversy over her Facebook posts erupted. But she wasn’t questioned and didn’t get in trouble for her anti-Israel views. Those views, unfortunately, are all the rage at Oberlin and other liberal campuses.
Rather, her Facebook posting clearly veered into rank antisemitism. Like this one alleging a conspiracy by the Rothschilds to rule the world:
Not only was Karega not apologetic, she played the victim, Oberlin Prof. who posted antisemitic memes says she’s a victim of racism. Eventually Karega was placed on paid-leave for the fall semester pending review of her status.
As incredible as it might seem, pro-BDS groups on campus rallied around Karega, claiming she is the victim of a witch hunt and condemning an alumni group who complained about Karega. I guess that’s not so surprising, considering the attempt by Oberlin Black Lives Matter students to financially damage a local bakery that had one of their members arrested for shoplifting.
Yesterday Karega was fired effective immediately. The following statement was issued by Oberlin on November 15:
The Oberlin College Board of Trustees, after extensive consideration and a comprehensive review of recommendations from multiple faculty committees and Oberlin President Marvin Krislov, has voted to dismiss Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Joy D. Karega for failing to meet the academic standards that Oberlin requires of its faculty and failing to demonstrate intellectual honesty.The dismissal is effective Tuesday, November 15, 2016.As a Board, we agree with President Krislov and every faculty committee reviewing this matter that the central issues are Dr. Karega’s professional integrity and fitness. We affirm Oberlin’s historic and ongoing commitment to academic freedom.During this process, which began with Dr. Karega’s posting of anti-Semitic writings on social media, Dr. Karega received numerous procedural protections: she was represented by counsel; she presented witness testimony, documents, and statements to support her position; and she had the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses testifying against her.The faculty review process examined whether Dr. Karega had violated the fundamental responsibilities of Oberlin faculty members – namely, adherence to the “Statement of Professional Ethics” of the American Association of University Professors, which requires faculty members to “accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending and transmitting knowledge” and to “practice intellectual honesty.”Contrary to this obligation, Dr. Karega attacked her colleagues when they challenged inconsistencies in her description of the connection between her postings and her scholarship. She disclaimed all responsibility for her misconduct. And she continues to blame Oberlin and its faculty committees for undertaking a shared governance review process.For these reasons, the faculty review committees and President Krislov agreed on the seriousness of Dr. Karega’s misconduct. Indeed, the majority of the General Faculty Council, the executive body of Oberlin’s faculty, concluded that Dr. Karega’s postings could not be justified as part of her scholarship and had “irreparably impaired (her) ability to perform her duties as a scholar, a teacher, and a member of the community.”In the face of Dr. Karega’s repeated refusal to acknowledge and remedy her misconduct, her continued presence undermines the mission and values of Oberlin’s academic community. Thus, any sanction short of dismissal is insufficient and the Board of Trustees is compelled to take this most serious action.
In a Facebook post Karega threatened litigation:
I know the news is coming in. Trust me, this is not a surprise. I’ve been dealing with the persecution, incompetent leadership, and discrimination from Oberlin College since March. No surprise here.I will be issuing an official statement soon. I could easily release a “Kiss My Ass” statement. I would be MORE than justified in doing so. But that is not my style. I choose my weapons CAREFULLY and STRATEGICALLY. And trust, I have done that. There will be a challenge and defense of my rights, using ALL the avenues I have available to me — litigation, public, etc. The pathway for that has already been laid….
Here is the full Karega:
So far, the BDS movement has kept its distance from Karega, perhaps recognizing that she’s a liability because of her clear antisemitism. While many boycotters harbor similar feelings, they at least try not to let it show. Karega put it all out there.
While it’s probably not over, this would be a good time to take a stroll through the antisemitic batshit crazy World of Karega:
We will continue to follow the World of Karega, including student reaction to her firing.
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