Congratulations to Professor John Strauss

and Many Thanks to the Academic Freedom Alliance

Press release from the Academic Freedom Alliance:

AFA Announces Successful Resolution of Case at USC
USC Dismisses Case Against Professor John Strauss Regarding Exchange with Protestors

PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance today announced the favorable resolution of its case in defense of John Strauss, a professor at the University of Southern California who was accused of harassment by student protestors after he briefly engaged with them at a pro-Palestinian rally on campus. USC dismissed the case against Professor Strauss earlier this month. 

“We’re pleased that Professor Strauss has been vindicated and that his rights have been acknowledged,” said Lucas Morel, chair of the AFA’s Academic Committee. “The university rightly found that John had not engaged in harassment and dismissed the complaints against him. The university also acknowledged John’s right to free speech and declined to subject him to discipline. The successful resolution of this case is a victory for academic freedom rights everywhere, particularly during these contentious times on campuses nationwide.”

The controversy originated on November 9, 2023, when Professor Strauss engaged in a brief verbal exchange with protestors in a public area on campus. After Professor Strauss expressed the view that Hamas terrorists should be killed, online activists shared a shortened version of the clip on social media intended to make it appear as though Professor Strauss had called for the death of all Palestinians. USC initially asked Strauss to leave campus after the video went viral, leading the AFA to begin supporting the professor on November 11. While USC quickly allowed Strauss to return to campus after his case made national news, he was then subjected to a lengthy discrimination and harassment investigation based on complaints filed by the student protestors. Earlier this month, USC concluded its investigation into Strauss and dismissed the complaints against him, finding no harassment had occurred.  

“I am grateful to the AFA for its support during this difficult period,” said Professor John Strauss. “I hope this outcome will serve as a reminder to universities across the country that professors have a right to free speech both inside and outside the classroom. I am deeply relieved to put this case behind me.”

Additional Resources:

• The AFA’s November 2023 letter to USC in support of Prof. Strauss

• Coverage of the case in the LA Times

The case was covered extensively in the media:

• https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/11/usc-prof-john-strauss-banned-from-campus-after-misleadingly-edited-video-of-his-comments-condemning-hamas/

• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-11-26/a-usc-professor-called-for-hamas-to-be-killed-hes-now-banned-from-campus

• https://www.nbclosangeles.com/on-air/newsconference-usc-professor-speaks-out/3272345/

• https://thejewishvoice.com/2023/11/jewish-usc-professor-barred-from-campus-targeted-by-anti-israel-activists-with-doctored-video/

• https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2023/11/28/usc-abrogates-freedom-of-speech-jewish-professor-banned-from-campus-for-saying-he-hoped-that-all-members-of-hamas-would-be-killed/

• https://forward.com/fast-forward/569810/usc-professor-leave-pro-palestinian-protest-john-strauss/

• https://www.ocregister.com/2023/11/21/usc-return-professor-john-strauss-to-campus/

• https://www.nysun.com/article/jewish-university-of-southern-california-professor-is-banished-from-campus-must-teach-classes-on-zoom-after-saying-hamas-murderers-should-be-killed

• https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/11/20/usc-professor-barred-campus-after-altercation-students

• https://www.thecollegefix.com/usc-professor-banished-from-campus-after-anti-hamas-comments-go-viral/

• https://wkzo.com/2023/11/17/us-professors-suspended-probed-over-gaza-war-comments/

• https://www.mvariety.com/news/national/us-professors-suspended-probed-over-gaza-war-comments/article_0126663e-85d7-11ee-91d2-1b42eed92eba.html

• https://www.newsbreak.com/los-angeles-ca/3232648195296-academic-freedom-alliance-protests-usc-prof-s-ban-from-campus

• https://www.jns.org/usc-suspends-professor-who-called-for-hamas-murderers-to-be-killed/

This case illustrates that organizations such as the Academic Freedom Alliance are needed to protect the basic rights of faculty on our campuses:

The Academic Freedom Alliance is a diverse alliance of college and university faculty members who are dedicated to upholding the principles of academic freedom and professorial free speech. These principles are central to the mission of our institutions of higher education for the pursuit of truth and knowledge. The AFA is committed to defending universal principles of academic freedom and will come to the assistance of professors regardless of their individual views. As always, the AFA is not concerned with the substance or merits of a professor’s ideas but with the principle that universities should be places that tolerate controversial ideas and allow free inquiry and debate, not public opinion or political pressure, to separate error from truth.

Please support the AFA. You can learn more about the organization, subscribe to their newsletter, inquire about membership, and make a donation here. Importantly, as Professor Strauss‘ case makes clear, we all need to know the “First Steps to Defend Yourself in a Free Speech Controversy” posted on AFA’s home page. Print it out and keep it by your desk—you never know when you might need it.

We are grateful:

• To AFA, for their support of Professor Strauss;

• To Professor Strauss, for his courage to stand up for what is right. He defended not only his right for free speech, but also the rights of other scholars;

• To several members of The Circle, who helped to compile critical information about the case;

• To the journalists who published unbiased reports on the case (we hope no one lost their job);

• To FIRE, for issuing a letter of support for the case;

• To PEN America, for their statement of support.

But we also have questions:

• Why did it take so long? It was clear from the very beginning Professor Strauss had done nothing wrong, and that the accusations were without merit and made in bad faith.

• What about the miscreants who doctored videos of Professor Strauss’ encounter with the protesters, launched the vicious social media campaign against him, doxxed him and flooded his email with threats, and lodged frivolous and false complaints against him? What is their punishment? Are such actions in line with USC’s Unifying Values, which include “Integrity,” “Accountability,” and “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?” Or perhaps the behavior of the students did align with the goals of DEI, as explained by Dr. Tabia Lee, who was fired from her post as faculty director of DEI at Azusa College for standing up against antisemitism.

• Professor Strauss’ treatment is yet another example of the double standard for Jews, as discussed in the Report to the President and the Provost. A USC student DEI ambassador tweets that she wants to “kill every motherf**cking Zionist”? It’s all chill. A professor says that an Islamist terror organization must be exterminated? Another matter.

• Professor Strauss has done nothing wrong. The university must make a public statement about that and confirm their commitment to free speech.

• Professor Strauss deserves a public apology from the university for the unjust treatment he received.