Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D., F.A.C.P.

Medical Oncology/Hematology  Telephone: (215) 333-4900

 Facsimile: (215) 333-2023
Smylie Times Building - Suite #500-C
8001 Roosevelt Boulevard  rsklaroff@gmail.com
Philadelphia, PA 19152 January 30, 2019

To: Patrick J. O’Connor, Esq., Chair, Temple University Board of Trustees – Plus Trustees
Re: Marc Lamont Hill, Ph.D. [D.O.B. 12/17/1978]
Cc: internet

Four articles are provided that probe myriad facets of whether professors should be fired for what they
say and/or do; the key issue — from my perspective, as was explored in a December letter — is whether
the individual invokes “speech”-freedom to foment-“violence.”; Whether that individual should be fired
after having overtly promoted racism would be justification for reviewing his/her academic activities and
then providing him/her an opportunity to “clarify” whatever had transpired [and to grow in the process].

FIRST, regardless of whether this claim is accurate, it was wrong for a “Professor to be fired for comments
on Islam.” [Arguably, however, a private educational entity is empowered more than a public one]:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/professor-fired-for-comments-on-
islam_us_5b57b08ee4b07de723e990a2

Wheaton College, an evangelical Christian university, is trying to fire tenured political

science professor Larycia Hawkins for writing in an online post that Muslims and
Christians worship the same God. HuffPost Live takes a look at the controversy. {video}

SECOND, noting behavioral endorsement of reverse-racism, it was correct for a “Black College Professor
to be fired after comments she made on Fox News” assuming that, after scrutiny and having been given
an opportunity to recant, she retained the view that it was acceptable to hold events that would be
attended exclusively by African-Americans [https://thegrio.com/2017/06/25/college-professor-fired-in-
wake-of-racially-charged-fox-news-interview/]. One can only imagine what occurred in the classroom.

https://praisedc.com/1832544/black-college-professor-fired-after-comments-she-
made-on-fox-news/

The show aired on June 6 and Essex County College suspended Durden with pay two days
later, according to The Grio. Durden discussed the matter during a public meeting with
school officials on Tuesday, June 20 — she was later fired. Durden told NJ.com that she
was disappointed by the school’s actions. Though she’s received support from some staff
and students, she compared her experience to blaming a rape victim.

President of Essex County College, Anthony Munroe (who’s Black), said “I fully believe
that institutions of higher learning must provide a safe space for students to explore,
discuss and debate, not only academic philosophies, but the harder issues related to living
harmoniously and growing together in our communities and as a country.” He continued,
“The character of this institution mandates that we embrace diversity, inclusion, and
unity. Racism cannot be fought with more racism.”

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THIRD, noting intent to apologize, it was wrong for a “College to fire a professor who gave a Nazi salute”:

https://worldisraelnews.com/college-fires-professor-accused-of-giving-nazi-
salute/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Israelis+Pioneer+%
27Complete+Cure+for+Cancer%27%3B+Netanyahu%3A+Beware+of+IDF%27s+%27Letha
l%27+Power%3B+Malaysia+Boycotted+over+Anti-
Israel+Policy&utm_campaign=20190129_m149508333_Israelis+Pioneer+%27Complete+
Cure+for+Cancer%27%3B+Netanyahu%3A+Beware+of+IDF%27s+%27Lethal%27+Power
%3B+Malaysia+Boycotted+over+Anti-
Israel+Policy&utm_term=College+Fires+Professor+Accused+of+Giving+Nazi+Salute

The Connecticut professor told investigators he was willing to apologize for giving the
Nazi salute and did not mean any harm.

By Dave Collins, Associated Press

A community college fired a business professor Thursday accused of comparing education

officials to Nazis by shouting in German and giving a Nazi salute for more than 10 minutes
at a faculty and administrators’ meeting.

Paul Broadie II, president of Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, announced the
firing of Charles Meyrick, saying a school investigation determined the assistant professor
committed “serious misconduct.”

Officials said the Nov. 2 disruptions at Manchester Community College, where faculty and
administrators of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system were meeting
about school consolidation, were part of “increasingly alarming behavior” by Meyrick,
including his being disruptive at prior meetings.

“Mr. Meyrick’s actions took place just days after the mass shooting at the Tree of Life
Synagogue in Pittsburgh and triggered several participants to exit the facility out of fear
for their safety,” said Mark Ojakian, president of the colleges and universities system.
“Our state colleges and universities aim to foster a welcoming learning environment, and
these threatening actions go far beyond acceptable discourse.”

Messages seeking comment were left for Meyrick on Thursday.

According to the school investigation report , Meyrick acknowledged he shouted “sieg

heil,” a German phrase for “hail victory” noted for its use at Nazi rallies, and gave a Nazi
salute from his seat in the crowd in the auditorium as a way to show the meeting’s leaders
that their effort to silence his dissent was “tyrannical and wrong.”

Meyrick and a college system official got into an argument about consolidating
curriculum, and the official asked Meyrick to leave because of his disruptive behavior,
including his calling the official a liar, the report said. Meyrick saw the request to leave as
officials trying to stop him from expressing his opinion, according to the report.

2
 Police said they were called to the auditorium and after the meeting asked Meyrick to
leave campus. Meyrick responded by asking, “What if I don’t?” and a lieutenant told him
he’d be arrested, police said. Two officers then escorted him from campus without
incident.

Investigators said Meyrick told them he characterized the salute and Nazi statement as
“miscalculations.” Asked why he kept his hand up so long, Meyrick said he began
questioning his own behavior and needed time to contemplate how to get out of the
situation. He put his hand down when the official he had argued with asked him if he had
a question, the report said.

Meyrick also told investigators he was willing to apologize and did not mean any harm.
Meyrick began teaching at the community college in 2009 after working in finance for
IBM for 34 years, according to his biography on the school’s website.

FOURTH, it was wrong for an “Acadia University professor who was at the center of a free-speech debate
to have been fired for controversial comments” because, particularly noting details in a prior article
[https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/n-s-universitys-probe-of-controversial-professor-intensifies-
free-speech-debate], it seemed he was raising an appropriate political/cultural observation:

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/controversial-nova-scotia-professor-fired-after-
fire-storm-over-comments

Rick Mehta came under fire for saying multiculturalism is a scam, denying the gender
wage gap, and dismissing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

WOLFVILLE, N.S. — A Nova Scotia professor who stoked a national debate about free
speech on campus after making controversial comments on social media and in the
classroom has been fired.

Acadia University confirmed Friday that Rick Mehta has been dismissed, several months
after the Wolfville, N.S., school launched a formal investigation into complaints against
the psychology professor.

University spokesman Scott Roberts said he is unable to comment or “provide any

elaboration” on the dismissal as it is a confidential personnel matter.

He also was unable to provide details of the findings of the investigation overseen by
Dalhousie University professor emeritus Wayne MacKay, noting that it’s a “privileged
document.”

The Acadia University Faculty Association said in a statement Friday it was informed of
the firing on Aug. 31, and has since filed for arbitration.

“The termination of a tenured professor is very serious, and (the faculty association) has
filed for arbitration while its senior grievance officer and legal counsel examine the
administration’s disciplinary procedures and evidence,” the statement said.

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Mehta could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday. However, he retweeted
a blog article that discussed his firing.

Last month, he said in an email that the only way he could have a copy of the investigation
report by MacKay was by signing an agreement, which he called a “gag order.”

Mehta was outspoken both on campus and online about a range of contentious issues
including decolonization, immigration and gender politics, garnering both supporters and
opposition.

He came under fire for saying multiculturalism is a scam, denying the wage gap between
men and women, and dismissing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as a vehicle for
“endless apologies and compensation.”

On Twitter, he retweeted a post that said it is “statistically impossible for all Native
children to have had a negative experience with residential schools.”

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission found that more than 150,000 First Nations,
Metis, and Inuit children were taken from their families – often by force – to attend
government schools. The commission heard testimony from roughly 7,000 survivors,
including graphic details of rampant sexual and physical abuse at the schools, and found
at least 6,000 Indigenous children died from malnutrition, disease and widespread abuse.
While his defenders called his voice an antidote to political correctness run amok, his
critics said his polarizing comments attacked marginalized people and perpetuated
harmful stereotypes.

In a Feb. 26 letter, Mehta’s designated department head, Rob Raeside, detailed some of
the complaints against him, indicating that the level of anxiety in the class was high and
some students had stopped attending.

Raeside said students have accused Mehta of spending excessive class time on non-class
related matters, using non-academic sources for lecture content, testing on content not
dealt with in class or in assigned readings and making provocative comments in class.

The acrimonious debate has spurred a Halifax-based activist to launch a petition

demanding his removal from the small-town Nova Scotia university, while a counter-
petition called for him to stay in the classroom as a beacon of freedom of expression.

In March, the Canadian Association of University Teachers appointed a committee to

review how Acadia handled grievances against Mehta to determine whether his academic
freedom had been breached or threatened.

“Professor Mehta’s case raises important questions about the scope of academic freedom
in teaching and the exercise of extramural speech by professors,” David Robinson,
executive director of the association, said in a statement at the time.

“These issues are of broad significance to all academics in Canada.”