A Yale spokesman said that when the university received information that a candidate had exhibited inappropriate behavior, it investigated all allegations “to the extent possible.” Professor Pogge said that a university representative had asked him about the Columbia case while he was being recruited, in 2007. Professor Benhabib, who served on Professor Pogge’s selection committee, said that she and other committee members had heard about the Columbia case but did not discuss it.
“I didn’t think it was my place to go searching into his history at Columbia,” she said. “Everybody slips once. That was our attitude.”
She added, “In retrospect maybe we should have done more.”--The New York Times "After a Professor Is Cleared of Sexual Harassment, Critics Fear ‘Cultural Silence’ at Yale"
In a recent article, The New York Times exposed a few more salient facts about the Thomas Pogge case. I have been following the case, and was startled by these. It is worth noting their significance.
First, as the quote from Professor Benhabib reveals, quite a few people at Yale knew that there had been a case at Columbia when Yale was recruiting and hiring Thomas Pogge (more about this below).
Second, reasonable people may disagree to what degree more "should have" been "done" with this information at the time (see for discussion Leiterreports). (I assume that the folk that brought the information to the attention of our peers at Yale thought it significant.) It is a revealing glimpse at the culture of silence that operates within the profession (recall and here). Even if you think more should have been done at the time, it is worth reminding the more severe judges that since the profession has been educated by What is it Like to be a Woman in Philosophy?, The Feminist Philosophers blog, and many courageous women who have shared their stories and analysis.
But, with all due respect to Professor Benhabib, one wonders at what point the members of Yale University's search committee, when confronted with increasing evidence of Thomas Pogge's misdeeds, started to reach out to Pogge's victims and take action to correct their mistake (or, if you will, negligence)? I don't know the answer to this honest question, but I do know that given the steep prestige hierarchy of the profession, once the members of our most important departments do "more," we can change the professional norms.
Third, I mention the point in the previous paragraph because I was bit startled by a recent public comment in the Huffington Post on the affair by the Chair of the search committee: “Yale is not Big Brother,” [Professor] Kagan said, “and you wouldn’t want it to be Big Brother.” Indeed, it wouldn't be good if Yale became a Big Brother. But there is quite a bit of scope for action by individuals (like the members of the search committee and -- see below -- Yale's administration) short of Yale becoming a Big Brother.
Fourth, (recall), Professor Kagan who was Chair of the search committee then, has also recently been quoted that he "added that had accusations against Pogge been brought to his attention, he would have discussed them with the administration." It follows (recall the Daily Nous) that some mebers of Yale's administration were aware of a prior case against Thomas Pogge when they hired him. As I noted all evidence points to current president of Yale University, Peter Salovey, being one of those administrators. This is not insignificant.
Fifth, the New York Times reports that "Mr. Salovey, acting as the case’s designated “decision maker,” approved the recommendations and later rejected Ms. Lopez’s appeal of the ruling." Here the appearance of a conflict of interest really is non-trivial. President Salovey could not just be seen to be trying to protect the institution's reputation (for key players at Yale knew that Ms. Lopez's case was the tip of a larger pattern of misbehavior by Thomas Pogge), but also his own reputation. Let's be frank: Yale seems to have conspired in a cover-up, in part, to protect its President's negligence in protecting Pogge's victims. (Recall from this Buzzfeed article that Yale offered Ms. Lopez hush money.)
Sixth, can anybody explain why President Salovey is still the President of Yale University?*
*I know some colleagues are worried about trial by internet (recall Leigh Johnson's piece and my response here). But the institutional and professional norms and practices that facilitate inaction and the continuation of very imperfect procedures deserve more scrutiny not less.
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