Readers respond: Linfield could endanger itself
Today 6:30 AM
I am extremely disappointed with Linfield University President Miles K. Davis and its Board of Trustees for the peremptory firing of Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner (“Linfield University president defends firing of tenured professor, says he has no plans to resign,” April 30). As a Linfield alumnus (B.A. ’62) and a retired faculty member and administrator at three universities, I am fully aware of how shortsighted and contrary to all the principles of academic freedom this decision was. Moreover, as a member of several university accreditation examination committees, I can predict that this action could jeopardize Linfield’s accreditation.
Linfield University President Miles K. Davis.
Last Tuesday, Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon, fired Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, a tenured professor of English and a Shakespeare scholar who had accused President Miles K. Davis of anti-Semitism.
According to The Oregonian (
Linfield University President Miles K. Davis made anti-Semitic comments, professor says; Davis alleges âsmear campaignâ), President Davis faces allegations by two psychology professors that he made an inappropriate remark about Jews and the Holocaust during a 2018 meeting with faculty. The two professors, Tanya Tompkins and Jennifer Linder said that Davis illustrated his comment about being open about budget cuts by quoting his professor who used to say, âYou donât send the Jews to the shower with soap.â
Linfield University president defends firing of tenured professor, says he has no plans to resign
Updated May 01, 2021;
Posted Apr 30, 2021
President Miles K. Davis also Friday recalled that he had discussed physical characteristics of Jews and other Semitic peoples with professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, after he had previously denied to an independent investigator making any such comments. “I might have well said that from a physical characteristic perspective, you d be hard pressed to tell the difference amongst Semitic people. It wasn’t a racist thing about measuring Jewish noses. Photo courtesy of Linfield
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Linfield University President Miles K. Davis on Friday rebuffed calls to resign and defended this week’s abrupt firing of an English professor who criticized him.
Oregon Board of Rabbis calls on Linfield president, board chair to resign amid allegations of anti-Semitism msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
April 16, 2021
Bladine: Story resurfaces with a vengeance
Linfield Professor Daniel Pollack-Pelzner wanted another bite of the apple in his campaign to discredit Linfield University President Miles Davis. He didn’t get just one, but a whole bushelful.
Our news story today rekindles distasteful controversies at Linfield dating back to 2017, before Davis arrived in mid-2018 from Shenandoah University in Virginia. Since then, Davis and Linfield have endured three tumultuous years, and Pollack-Pelzner has been a continuing thorn in some of those wounds.
Whatchamacolumn
Setting aside the 2018 storm surrounding Linfield’s volleyball team a high-drama situation resolved deftly by Davis those controversies include: