The New School: Professor Subjected to Disciplinary Investigation for Quoting James Baldwin in Class Discussion

FIRE wrote a letter to The New School on July 17, 2019, voicing deep concern over its disciplinary investigation into Professor Laurie Sheck for an alleged violation of the institution’s discrimination policy stemming from a classroom discussion of a James Baldwin essay and the title of an Oscar-nominated documentary about the author. FIRE explained that the investigation was unwarranted under The New School’s policies governing both discrimination and academic freedom and asked that it be ended immediately. On August 14, 2019, The New School cleared Sheck, finding that she did not violate the university’s policies on discrimination.