CUNY professors union slams university brass for calling law student Fatima Mohammed’s grad address ‘hate speech’
The Professional Staff Congress (PSC), the professors union at the City University of New York (CUNY), is accusing CUNY’s leadership of attempting to restrict freedom of expression. This comes after a law school graduate’s commencement address was labeled as “hate speech” by the CUNY Board of Trustees. The PSC is defending graduate Fatima Mohammed, who had attacked the State of Israel and Zionists for indiscriminate killings of innocent Palestinians during her May 12 speech. The law school grad accused Israel of “indiscriminate” murder, encouraging “lynch mobs” and lauded resistance to “Zionism around the world.”
CUNY Chairman Bill Thompson and Chancellor Felix Matos belatedly issued a statement backed by all the trustees, saying Mohammed’s remarks “fall into the category of hate speech.” However, CUNY law school administrators including Dean Sudha Setty were seen applauding it at the time and did not challenge or criticize it. “Free speech is precious, but often messy, and is vital to the foundation of higher education. Hate speech, however, should not be confused with free speech and has no place on our campuses or in our city, our state or our nation,” the CUNY board statement said.
In response to the controversy, the PSC, which represents the faculty at the CUNY Law School, cited the preamble to its labor contract with CUNY in 1973 about free speech and academic freedom for faculty to defend the law school student’s commencement address. “Mischaracterizing expression protected by the First Amendment as hate speech has a chilling effect in the context of public higher education, whose bedrock must be free speech and academic freedom,” the PSC statement said. The union continued, “In the current climate, when both hate speech and the repression of free speech are on the rise, the CUNY Board of Trustees should retract their statement, as it is not in keeping with the principles they are appointed to represent and defend.”
FAQs:
What did Fatima Mohammed say during her commencement speech?
During her May 12 speech, Mohammed attacked the State of Israel and Zionists for the indiscriminate killings of innocent Palestinians and called the NYPD and the military “fascist.” The law school grad accused Israel of “indiscriminate” murder, encouraging “lynch mobs” and lauded resistance to “Zionism around the world.”
Why did CUNY accuse Mohammed of hate speech?
After Mohammed’s speech, CUNY Chairman Bill Thompson and Chancellor Felix Matos belatedly issued a statement backed by all the trustees saying Mohammed’s remarks “fall into the category of hate speech.”
What did the professors union say in response to CUNY’s accusation?
The Professional Staff Congress (PSC) defended graduate Fatima Mohammed and accused CUNY’s leadership of attempting to restrict freedom of expression. The PSC cited the preamble to its labor contract with CUNY in 1973 about free speech and academic freedom for faculty to defend the law school student’s commencement address.
What did CUNY say about the accusations made by the professors union?
CUNY had no immediate comment.
Has CUNY faced controversy related to discrimination before?
Even before the latest commencement controversy, the state Division of Human Rights opened a probe into whether CUNY’s School of Law discriminated against Jews when its faculty council passed a resolution last year supporting the pro-Palestinian boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) movement targeting Israel. The PSC itself was roundly criticized in 2021 for passing a one-sided resolution rebuking Israel for recent attacks on Palestinians — and warning that it may support the movement to boycott and divest from the Jewish state.
The Union of CUNY Professors Criticizes University Leaders for Labeling Law Student Fatima Mohammed’s Graduation Speech as ‘Hateful’.
The Professional Staff Congress (PSC), the professors union at the City University of New York, has accused CUNY’s leadership of curbing freedom of expression by criticizing the commencement speech of law school graduate Fatima Mohammed. In May, Mohammed condemned Zionists and the State of Israel during her speech and accused the NYPD and the military of being “fascist”. Although CUNY law school administrators did not challenge or criticize the speech at the time, CUNY Chairman Bill Thompson and Chancellor Felix Matos later issued a statement calling it “hate speech”. In response, the PSC argued that such a characterization of free speech has “a chilling effect” on academic freedom, and is not in line with the union’s 1973 contract with CUNY, in which it pledges to defend free speech and academic freedom.