Middlebury College wants to prevent future violence of the sort visited on professor Allison Stanger by thugs trying to keep author Charles Murray from delivering a lecture. The ever-so-brave administrators’ solution? Don’t let anyone talk who might be the target of violence.
The school put out a document listing “Interim Procedures for Scheduling Events and Invited Speakers.” In the midst of all the pedestrian details about reserving rooms, Middlebury announced that those scheduling events, including events involving speakers, will be required to submit a request to the school three weeks in advance. On those requests, organizers are obliged to alert Middlebury to any “security concerns.” If there is a likelihood of violence, the school’s “Threat Assessment and Management Team will conduct a risk assessment.” In those “exceptional cases” where there is a “significant risk to the community,” the administration will “determine measures to maximize safety and mitigate risk.” If the risk can’t be mitigated, the school’s president and senior administration will “consider canceling the event.”
In other words, as long as the thugs can make a credible threat that they will be thuggish, Middlebury will buckle under and give them what they want. This is supposed to be a strategy for reducing violence?
In related news, there’s an update on the recent fiasco at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Students there, you’ll remember, menaced biology professor Bret Weinstein for objecting to a school diversity initiative that called on white people to leave campus for a day. He was bullied and threatened. The school’s administration, rather than moving to discipline the students responsible, acted as though Weinstein was getting what he deserved.
Weinstein and his wife—also a professor at Evergreen—sued the school for $3.85 million for creating a hostile work environment and failing to protect them. The school has settled with the Weinsteins for $500,000. Both professors have resigned.
Evergreen is finding out that craven pandering to the noisiest of discontents is no way to run an institution. The school was already struggling financially, starting the year with a $2.1 million budget shortfall. Where the school is going to get half a million to pay the Weinsteins is unclear. What is clear is that any college that’s intellectually bankrupt deserves to be literally bankrupt as well.
