December 16, 2024. Letter Objecting to Faculty Arrests and PNG Designations
To: Evan R.Chesler, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, New York University
Linda Mills, President
Fountain Walker, Vice President of Global Public Safety
Gigi Dopico, Provost
December 16, 2024
We, the undersigned faculty and staff [Add your name here], condemn the NYU administration’s decision to have two of its tenured faculty arrested, and to lock them, several other faculty, and several students out of the university’s common spaces by declaring them personae non grata (PNG).
Citing purported university policy, Vice President of Global Public Safety Fountain Walker has declined to provide banned faculty with any reason for the injunction against them, saying only that the decision was aimed at “keeping our community safe and minimizing disruption.” Faculty participated in a range of nonviolent protest actions at the Library on December 11 and 12, but none that threatened the safety of our community or justify the designation of our colleagues as PNG. The main purpose of faculty’s presence and involvement was to support the basic rights of students to protest a genocide, and stand in solidarity with them. Keeping the community safe and minimizing disruption does not explain why a few individual faculty members and students were singled out to be designated PNG. One faculty member, who was informed of their status verbally, was not present or near the library during the events of December 11th.
Nor, more generally, does the hollow invocation of “safety” justify the over-policing of public space on the NYU campus, including the erection of walls and other restrictive barriers. The NYU administration must restore the right of students, faculty, and staff to travel and congregate freely on their own campus.
We demand that NYU leadership immediately drop charges against those faculty whom they invited the NYPD to arrest, and withdraw sanctions against those they have designated PNG. It is an intolerable violation of University and community norms to impose punishments or sanctions on faculty, or anyone, without explanation or procedure. It also contravenes the rules set out in the faculty handbook and all written university policies. According to a national AAUP statement on December 12, 2024, “The AAUP has long considered denying faculty members the right to carry out their key duties as a major sanction, second only to dismissal in severity. An administration should take such a step only after demonstrating adequate cause in an adjudicative hearing of record before an elected faculty body. No such hearing has taken place [at NYU}.”
Decisions by the University that affect the ability of faculty to advance their scholarship, teach and support their students and communities, and live their lives must be made through agreed upon procedures, and involve transparent explanations of the accusations, hearings, judgments, and evidence upon which they are based. The head of Public Safety does not have standing to interfere with the research and teaching practices of the faculty and is just as bound by the procedures and practices of the University as anyone. Furthermore, Walker is our fellow employee, and is subject to the rights and responsibilities of all our colleagues to ask questions of each other and answer them.
The NYU faculty who took part in the protest on Thursday, and the sit-in that took place the day before want to see NYU sever its ties with an apartheid state that has declared itself exempt from international law on so many occasions.
We understand that the University fears many ascendant forces in our current context, from violent Zionist organizations threatening the safety of our community, to congressional hearings attempting to paint academic freedom as antisemitic, to a new federal administration that might be extremely adversarial to the University and its communities. We believe that these challenges can be met with bravery not cowardice. We believe that protest is legitimate and necessary. Above all, we believe that our students and colleagues who have been affected by global wars are to be supported and not punished when they speak about the changes that they want to see in the world.
Signed,
Jean Bae, School of Global Public Health
Anna McCarthy, Cinema Studies
Sara Pursley , Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
Zach Samalin, English Department
Rebecca Karl, History
Lisa Duggan, Dept of Social & Cultural Analysis
Isabella Livorni , Department of Italian Studies
Asli Peker, FAS
Valerie Forman, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Kathy Engel, Tisch Dept of Art & Public Policy
Abigail Balbale, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and History
Jacob Faber, Wagner and Sociology
Stella-Ann Harris, XE: Experimental Humanities & Social Engagement
Rossen Djagalov, Russian and Slavic Studies
Michele Matteini, Department of Art History
Andrew Weiner, Art and Art Professions
Cloe Gentile Reyes, CAS Music
Asli Igsiz, MEIS
Mitu Khandaker, NYU Game Center
Jess Row, English
Dina Siddiqi, Liberal Studies
Chenjerai Kumanyika, CAS
Arang Keshavarzian , Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
Tatiana Linkhoeva, History / FAS
Barbara Weinstein, History
Ara H. Merjian, CAS
Amita Manghnani, Asian/Pacific/American Institute
Lara Saguisag, Teaching and Learning
Paula Chakravartty, James Weldon Johnson Associate Professor of Media Studies, MCC & Gallatin
Gianpaolo Baiocchi, Professor, Gallatin
Miriam Basilio Gaztambide, CAS/GSAS
Avgi Saketopoulou, NYU Postdoctoral Program in Pstherapy and Psychoanalysis
Helga Tawil-Souri, FAS (MEIS) & Steinhardt (MCC)
Sonali Thakkar, Dept. of English
Izzy Lockhart, English
Edward Ziter, Drama, TSOA
David Hogg, Physics
Angela Zito, FAS Anthro + Religious Studies
Roozbeh Kiani, Neural Science
michael gilsenan, FAS (Emeritus)
Hala Halim, Comparative Literature and Middle Eastern Studies
Fred Moten, Tisch/CAS
R. L’Heureux Lewis-McCoy, Applied statistics, social science and humanities – Steinhardt
Khaled Al Hilli, MEIS
Sinclair Thomson, History
Ann Pellegrini, Performance Studies, TSOA
Christy Thornton, History
David Ludden, History, emeritus
Sinan Antoon, Gallatin
Michael Landy, FAS Psychology & Neural Science
Deirdre Collins, GSAS
Emanuela Bianchi, Comparative Literature
Nina Katchadourian, Gallatin
Colby Hamilton, McSilver Institute of Poverty Policy and Research
Jameson Fitzpatrick, Expository Writing Program
Dipti Khera, Department of Art History and Insititute of Fine Arts
Alexander Whelan, Division of Libraries
Andrea Adomako, English Department
Chris Hesselbein, Technology, Culture, and Society
John Archer, English, FAS
Holly Hagan, Global Public Health
John King, SPS/DAUS
Tom Looser, East Asian Studies
Lylaah Bhalerao, ISAW
Finbarr Barry Flood, Institute of Fine Arts & Art History
Jens Andermann, Spanish & Portuguese
Emily Apter, CAS
Alexis Meza, Social & Cultural Analysis
Rachel Mahre, Division of Libraries
Ritty Lukose, Gallatin
Martín Gómez, Stern
Minju Bae, Gallatin
Noah Ortega, Drama, TSOA
Elayne Oliphant , Anthropology
Molly Nolan, History
Honey Crawford, English
John Waters, FAS – English and Irish Studies
Emma Heaney, GSAS
Ana Alvarez, Center of Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Laine Nooney, Department of Media, Culture, and Communication
Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot, Grossman School of Medicine
Dean Chahim, Department of Environmental Studies
Ara Merjian, CAS
Eve Meltzer, Gallatin School, NYU
Phyllis Heitjan, Division of Libraries
Mona El-Ghobashy, Liberal Studies
Stephen Duncombe, Gallatin/Steinhardt
Shanté Paradigm Smalls, Art & Public Policy, TSOA
Audrey Renson, Grossman School of Medicine
John Waters, FAS – English and Irish Studies
Bita Mousavi, History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
Steven Hahn, History
Ritty Lukose, Gallatin
Sabrina Sanchez, Steinhardt
Lisa Stulberg, Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities, Steinhardt
Angela X Wu, Department of Media, Culture, and Communication
Laine Nooney, Department of Media, Culture, and Communication
Corinne Butta, Gallatin
Catherine Coray, Tisch School of the Arts, Drama Dept.
Sibylle Fischer, GSAS
Kessie Alexandre, Social and Cultural Analysis
Moss Roberts, WSC East Asian Dept
Dara Rossman Regaignon, English, FAS
Eugenia Kisin, Gallatin
Alex Barnard, Sociology
Ben Ratliff, Gallatin
Dale Maglalang, Social Work
Rohan Shah, Gallatin
Jamil Dakwar, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Misho Ishikawa, English
James Uleman, Psychology, GSAS
Kristin Horton, Gallatin
Ruby Steedle, FAS
Jeff Goodwin, Sociology
Anastasia Chiu, Division of Libraries
Howard Besser , Cinema Studies
Arlene Dávila , Anthropology/SCA
Marie Cruz Soto, Gallatin School
Julianne Warren, Liberal Studies
Martín Gómez, Stern
Jerome Whitington, Gallatin and Liberal Studies
Mara Mills, Media, Culture, and Communication (Steinhardt)
Vicky Rampin, Division of Libraries
Thuy Linh Tu, SCA
Livingston Julie, Social and Cultural Analysis
Sophie Gonick, Social & Cultural Analysis, FAS
Marths Rust, English
Elizabeth Benninger, Gallatin
John Archer, English
Jens Andermann, Spanish & Portuguese
Ali Mirsepassi , Gallatin/MEIS
Tom Looser, East Asian Studies
Michael Salgarolo, Department of Social & Cultural Analysis
Gordon Beeferman, FAS
Vasuki Nesiah, The Gallatin School
Matthew Morrison, Tisch
Sophia Roosth, Gallatin School of Individualized Study
Karen Kupperman, History
Rachel Searcy, Division of Libraries
Emily Everest-Phillips, ISAW, NYU
Rossen Djagalov, Russian and Slavic Studies
Anthony Arnone, English
Nicholas Duron, English
Jane B Malmo, Drama TSOA (Retired)
Honey Crawford, Department of English
Sebastián Calderón Bentin, Drama, TSOA
Dipti Khera, Art History and Institute of Fine Arts
Mary Mezzano, FAS English
Manu Goswami, History
Timothy Pantoja, English
Hannah Gurman, Gallatin
Amy Zhang, Anthropology
Lia Warner, Division of Libraries
Michael Harrington, CAS, English
Timothy Reiss, Comparative Literature (Professor Emeritus)
Finbarr Barry Flood, Institute of Fine Arts & Department of Art History
Juliet Stanton, Linguistics (former Associate Professor)
Frances Hogan, Teaching & Learning
Bryan Waterman, English
Sara Murphy, Gallatin
Liam Murphy, Law
George Michelsen Foy, CAS / English / Creative Writing
Beth Boyle Machlan, Expository Writing
Crystal Parikh, English/Social & Cultural Analysis
Holly Hagan, Emeritus, Global Public Health
Ashley Agbasoga, Gallatin
Jeannie Morgenstern, Division of Libraries, XE: Experimental Humanities
Shannon O’Neill, NYU Libraries
Talya Cooper, Division of Libraries
Alexander Nagel, IFA
Nicole Fleetwood, Steinhardt MCC/ CAS SCA
Harini Kannan, Division of Libraries
Nicole Greenhouse, NYU Libraries
Jeannie Morgenstern, Division of Libraries
Akeem Flavors, Arts & Science
Sharon Lee De La Cruz, ITP-Tisch
Juan Pinon, Media Culture and Communication, Steinhardt
Jennifer Morgan, SCA and History
Linda Gordon, FAS History
Gayatri Gopinath, Dept of Social and Cultural Analysis
María Josefina Saldaña-Portillo, Social & Cultural Analysis
Nikhil Singh, Social and Cultural Analysis
Gabriella Must, Liberal Studies
Licia Fiol-Matta, Spanish and Portuguese
Paulina Pineda, Spanish and Portuguese, CLACS
Laura Harris, Cinema Studies and Art & Public Policy
Robert Reid-Pharr, Social and Cultural Analysis
Sarah Friedland, Liberal Studies
Anne DeWitt, Gallatin
Ola Galal, Liberal Studies
Robert Bell, GSAS
Brian Plungis, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
Ayşe Baltacıoğlu-Brammer, FAS
Leila Buck, Gallatin
Chloé GoldMansour, MEIS
Jason Leahey, Game Center
Sonia Werner, GSAS
Zachary Lockman, MEIS and History
Jillian Porter, Comparative Literature and Russian & Slavic
Laure Assaf, NYUAD
Adrian De Leon, FAS
Ren Pepitone, History
Andrew Needham, History
Karl Appuhn, CAS
Yidi Zhang, Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
Rebecca Anne Goetz, Department of History
Marion Katz, MEIS
Martha Tenney, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Nassim Taleb, Tandon School of Engineering (Ret.)
Trishank Kuppusamy, Computer Science and Engineering
Andrew Ross, Social and Cultural Analysis
Peggy Gormley, Tisch/UGFTV
Gwendolyn Alker, Drama, TSOA
Christine Harrington, Politics
Sana Odeh, Computer Science
Amira Pierce, Expository Writing Program
Jeffrey Sammons, History (emeritus)
Pacharee Sudhinaraset, English
Simón Trujillo, English
Audrey Celestine, History
Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, Psychology, Abu Dhabi
Lou Cornum, Social and Cultural Analysis
Chris Barker, Institute of Human Development and Social Change
Robyn d’Avignon, History
j Wahutu, MCC
Barbara Browning, TSOA
Alexander King,NYU Game Center
Cole Bannick, TSOA
Carson Schultz, CAS
Cece Ferraez, CAS
Joscelyn Jurich, School of Professional Studies
Michele Mitchell, History
Urayoán Noel, English/Spanish and Portuguese
Jackie Cosse, Silver School of Social Work
Erich Kessel Jr, Institute of Fine Arts
Maureen McLane, English
Karen Finley, Art and Public Policy, Tisch
Shyanne Ninham , NYU CWs
Patrick Warren, TSOA
Danny Mendelson, Division of Libraries
Lee Hatcher, Steinhardt School of Culture Education and Human Development
Lili Hsu, English
Megan Abron, State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU Law
Tatiana Zapata, Law
Ci Brauer, English Literature, GSAS
Lorie Novak, Tisch
Amelia Bande, Spanish & Portuguese
Samantha Serrano, Silver School of Social Work
Alexander Galloway, MCC
Abhishek Bhattacharyya , Liberal Studies
Daniel Lee, Gallatin
Davide Carpano, Technology, Culture and Society
cs wallace, NYU Game Center
Anna Tang, School of Medicine
Leo McErlane, English, CAS
Laurel George, CAS
