NPR and Northwestern University: Here are two institutions that are prominent, have a reputation for intellectual integrity, receive federal funds in one way or another, and in the past two weeks have both been embarrassed by the activities of their employees.
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NPR and Northwestern University: Here are two institutions that are prominent, have a reputation for intellectual integrity, receive federal funds in one way or another, and in the past two weeks have both been embarrassed by the activities of their employees.
Whatever one personally thinks of the sex demonstration or the NPR executive’s rant about the racism of the Tea Party, it is clear that neither the Northwestern administration nor the NPR leadership were particularly pleased with what went on. Important constituencies of both groups (taxpayers in the case of NPR, and alumni and parents in the case of Northwestern) expressed in various ways their outrage.
So what’s the difference?
At NPR, heads rolled. Three people have been forced to resign as a result. At Northwestern: nothing, nada, zippo. According to the administration, an investigation is underway (I can’t wait to read what other useful information will be revealed at its conclusion). But ultimately, J. Michael Bailey, the professor in question has ... you guessed it ... tenure! So just like one of Northwestern’s other famous professors, the Holocaust denier Arthur Butz, Mr. Bailey will get to keep his job. So certain is Mr. Bailey of this fact that he issued this “apology":
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Those who believe that there was, in fact, a serious problem have had considerable opportunity to explain why: in the numerous media stories on the controversy, or in their various correspondences with me... but they have failed to do so.
