Karega Not Teaching at Oberlin this Fall

Today, Oberlin College announced that professor Joy Karega will not be teaching this Fall, a much-delayed decision following the revelation of a series of her highly anti-Semitic Facebook posts this past March.

One of Professor Joy Karega’s Facebook postings (Source: www.thetower.org)

Karega’s posts (*which have since been deleted) included a series of conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic content, including blaming “Israel and Zionist Jews” for the 9/11 attacks; posting an unflattering photograph of Jewish banker Jacob Rothschild with an exaggerated hook nose, with the words, “We own nearly every central bank in the world. We financed both sides of every war since Napoleon. We own your news, the media, your oil and your government”; following the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris in 2015, posting an image of an ISIS terrorist putting on his mask to reveal a man resembling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among many other things.

Oberlin, like many campuses nationwide, has been battling a resurgence of anti-Semitism. When the posts were first revealed, it sent the Oberlin community into turmoil, and President Marvin Krislov came under fire for not explicitly condemning her posts. Though he said in a public statement that the posts “affected [him] on a very personal level,” he has a “strong belief in academic freedom.”

LDB President Kenneth L. Marcus criticized Karega’s posts at the time to the Tower, and addressed the issue of academic freedom, saying, “[t]his is really outrageous conduct by the professor, and the university should address it promptly, effectively, and consistent with all of the university’s own internal policies . . . . The question is not whether the professor is free to say outrageous things or to post hateful materials but whether the university will meet its obligation to address the resulting harm to the students.”

Today, President Krislov announced that Karega is on leave while the administration and faculty review her professional fitness. We are pleased that the Oberlin administration finally seems to be addressing this issue as it should have months ago.

President Krislov’s full statement can be found below:

Dear Oberlin Community Members:

In response to recent renewed national media interest in the matter of Professor Joy Karega, I am writing to provide an update to you in advance of any public statement.

In March, in consultation with me as President, Oberlin’s Board asked the administration and faculty to use its governance processes to review Professor Karega’s professional fitness in light of her social media postings. Accordingly, the faculty governance process began and is ongoing.

I am committed to continuing and completing an equitable review process. While the process is pending, Professor Karega is on paid leave and will not be teaching at Oberlin. Arrangements are being made to cover her teaching and advising responsibilities.

In recognition of the sensitivity of this continuing review process and the privacy of the individuals involved, we will have no other comment until the conclusion of the process.

Sincerely,

Marvin Krislov
President