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<Let me point out layers of issues in this lack of data driven report by a local chapter of Salem-Keizer NAACP says Linfield president treated unfairly due to race. I know because only 6 of us - all tenured faculty were contacted by @SalemNAACP https://www.opb.org/article/2021/04/30/linfield-university-president-miles-davis-naacp-report-race/?fbclid=IwAR1e734Qv7oga4Gpg_1IiIMcS_H6aMmQ43LY6f-uTaEtX8oAMWx3BsgFgQ0
1) @ADL contacted Miles Davis on April 8, 2021 to inquire about anti-semitism on campus and his own anti-Semitic statements to @pollackpelzner
On the same day Miles Davis “contacted the Salem- Keizer NAACP-1166 and shared his concerns regarding allegations of racial animus.”
On the same day Miles Davis “contacted the Salem- Keizer NAACP-1166 and shared his concerns regarding allegations of racial animus.”
2) Contrary to what was said to the press earlier that NAACP wanted to investigate “racial animus” we now know that this investigation was specifically asked for by Davis himself.
3) “Last week, when news of the NAACP inquiry was released, Linfield spokesperson Scott Nelson had told OPB that the university did not solicit the organization and that it did not know what prompted the inquiry.” - OPB
4) “Nelson reiterated on Friday that until he read the report, he was not aware that Davis had reached out to the NAACP first.” - OPB
5) The campus knew nothing about this investigation until 4.20.21— the day after the College of Arts and Sciences passed a VONC against Miles Davis asking him to resign.
At 8:04 am the HR director emailed the entire campus stating that @SalemNAACP has launched an investigation.
At 8:04 am the HR director emailed the entire campus stating that @SalemNAACP has launched an investigation.
6) 6 faculty,including @pollackpelzner and myself received an email from Dr. Richardson on 4.21.21 6) stating “we are interested in having a conversation about the racial climate on campus. You are among several employees we hope to talk with if you are open to that dialogue.”
7) The 6 faculty invited to speak had all spoken to the media and had been critical of administration, Davis, sexual assaults, lack of transparency, mismanagement of sorts. There were only 11 people being interviewed to determine racial climate on campus.
8) No students were invited to speak. Definitely not the President or the Black Students Union. Only Davis’s “Special Assistant” and the Dean of Arts and Sciences was invited to speak.
9)Given the lack of transparency and confusion surrounding this investigation, particularly the day after the VONC against Davis, we 6 faculty emailed the following:
On April 22, the same day we emailed Dr. Richardson we heard back. His response was rather brief. He said:
11) On April 26th (Monday), a bit puzzled by Dr. Richardson’s response, we emailed again to clarify. Here is what we asked:
12)We made it very clear that we were not declining to speak to him,but simply waiting for some clarifications.The fact that we sent a detailed email-was a clear indication that once we understood the process, purpose, intent and timing of this investigation,we would participate.
13)WE NEVER HEARD BACK. We kept waiting to receive a response to our detailed inquiry. Instead, we read in the final published report a COMPLETE MISREPRESENTATION OF OUR INTENT.
14) “Six faculty from the College of Arts Sciences were invited to contribute to Salem Keizer NAACP’s inquiry. In an email they declined to participate claiming even being asked to be interviewed was retaliation.” (OPB)
15) The report also concluded that “It appeared that talking with the Jewish organizations did not constitute retaliation.” (OPB)
We are even more puzzled now since five of us (except @pollackpelzner) had never talked to any Jewish organization.
We are even more puzzled now since five of us (except @pollackpelzner) had never talked to any Jewish organization.
16) So this NAACP report is not based on either any broad investigation or facts about 6 of us. Among the 6, two of us are faculty of color specializing in #CriticalRaceTheory
17)The recommendation in this @SalemNAACP report surprisingly mimic the letter to the editor that was published by the “Special Assistant To The President” on 6.8.20 https://thelinfieldreview.com/23134/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-16/
18) The report surprisingly gloss over the letter that Linfield faculty wrote on 6.2.21, right after George Floyd’s murder. https://thelinfieldreview.com/23132/opinion/letter-to-the-editor-15/
19) As a faculty of color in the humanities, I have witnessed Davis disseminate the humanities and my repeated requests to establish a “Center for Racial Justice” has been fully ignored.
