3 ms·

What evidence do you have of political indoctrination or social activism?

by Braxton1980 1y ago

uhhhd 1y ago
That Harvard chose to settle this lawsuit rather than litigate it. https://www.kasowitz.com/media/unxcnvpo/harvard-complaint.pdf https://www.kasowitz.com/media/unxcnvpo/harvard-complaint.pd...
- Braxton1980 1y ago
  How is that evidence when entities settle suits all the time to avoid the cost and time of litigation?
  - uhhhd 1y ago
    Because the reputational damage to Harvard would probably exceed the minimal cost of litigating this (given its endowment) if they thought they would win. It's not evidence in legal sense, but it's a strong suggestion of culpability. Harvard isn't some kid that was arrested on false charges and settles because they're facing jail time. This is a massive institution with a 50B purse. Litigating this is peanuts for them.
    - Braxton1980 1y ago
      >This is a massive institution with a 50B purse. Litigating this is peanuts for them. Companies, large ones, settle all the time even if not at fault to avoid a lengthy trial which damages their reputation. It can have nothing to do with culpability. 3% of civil cases reach a verdict. https://arizonabusinesslawyeraz.com/when-to-litigate-and-when-to-settle/ https://arizonabusinesslawyeraz.com/when-to-litigate-and-whe... Settlements are also a known fixed cost controlled by the business instead of a jury. Considering how Republicans are attacking Harvard I would say the desire to get this out the public spotlight as fast as possible is important
firesteelrain 1y ago
[1] https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/6/4/dei-faculty-hiring-stopped/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/6/4/dei-faculty-hiri... “ Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences will stop requiring a diversity, inclusion, and belonging statement as part of its faculty hiring process” Professor Randall Kennedy of Harvard Law School described these statements as "ideological pledges of allegiance" that pressure candidates to conform to specific viewpoints, potentially discouraging those with differing perspectives [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Too,_Am_Harvard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Too,_Am_Harvard [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Harvard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Harvard [4] https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/11/1/pro-palestine-library-protests/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/11/1/pro-palestine-l... [5] https://www.jdjournal.com/2024/07/05/critics-blast-harvard-task-forces-recommendations/ https://www.jdjournal.com/2024/07/05/critics-blast-harvard-t... [6] https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/04/harvard-renames-diversity-office https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/04/harvard-renames-dive... [7] https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/05/28/harvard-university-neutrality-policy https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/05/28/harvard-university-neut... For instance, computer science professor Harry Lewis observed that the course catalog contains over 100 classes referencing "social justice" and around 80 each mentioning "oppression" or "liberation," [8] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/02/18/harvards_crisis_stems_from_debased_curriculum_150521.html https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/02/18/harvar... [9] https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/8/lewis-reaping-what-we-taught/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/8/lewis-reaping-wh... Those are some examples but clearly they have failed to address anti semitism on their campus. Harvard also appears to be an enabler of social activism
- Braxton1980 1y ago
  [8,9 dup] checked the course catalog and there are classes on topics that I think most would consider social activism. The CS professor just running a word search is a poor experiment but this doesn't negate your point. [1] The DEI intitive is social activism [2] True but not an official school policy but a professor [3] Independent organization [4] Article on protests and mentions faculty support them [5-6] Accusations [7] True These are good examples. What about indoctrination though and is it wrong for Harvard to be social activists?

What evidence do you have of political indoctrination or social activism?

That Harvard chose to settle this lawsuit rather than litigate it. https://www.kasowitz.com/media/unxcnvpo/harvard-complaint.pdf https://www.kasowitz.com/media/unxcnvpo/harvard-complaint.pd...

Braxton1980 1y ago
How is that evidence when entities settle suits all the time to avoid the cost and time of litigation?
- uhhhd 1y ago
  Because the reputational damage to Harvard would probably exceed the minimal cost of litigating this (given its endowment) if they thought they would win. It's not evidence in legal sense, but it's a strong suggestion of culpability. Harvard isn't some kid that was arrested on false charges and settles because they're facing jail time. This is a massive institution with a 50B purse. Litigating this is peanuts for them.
  - Braxton1980 1y ago
    >This is a massive institution with a 50B purse. Litigating this is peanuts for them. Companies, large ones, settle all the time even if not at fault to avoid a lengthy trial which damages their reputation. It can have nothing to do with culpability. 3% of civil cases reach a verdict. https://arizonabusinesslawyeraz.com/when-to-litigate-and-when-to-settle/ https://arizonabusinesslawyeraz.com/when-to-litigate-and-whe... Settlements are also a known fixed cost controlled by the business instead of a jury. Considering how Republicans are attacking Harvard I would say the desire to get this out the public spotlight as fast as possible is important

firesteelrain 1y ago

[1] https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/6/4/dei-faculty-hiring-stopped/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/6/4/dei-faculty-hiri... “ Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences will stop requiring a diversity, inclusion, and belonging statement as part of its faculty hiring process” Professor Randall Kennedy of Harvard Law School described these statements as "ideological pledges of allegiance" that pressure candidates to conform to specific viewpoints, potentially discouraging those with differing perspectives [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Too,_Am_Harvard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Too,_Am_Harvard [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Harvard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Harvard [4] https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/11/1/pro-palestine-library-protests/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/11/1/pro-palestine-l... [5] https://www.jdjournal.com/2024/07/05/critics-blast-harvard-task-forces-recommendations/ https://www.jdjournal.com/2024/07/05/critics-blast-harvard-t... [6] https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/04/harvard-renames-diversity-office https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/04/harvard-renames-dive... [7] https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/05/28/harvard-university-neutrality-policy https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/05/28/harvard-university-neut... For instance, computer science professor Harry Lewis observed that the course catalog contains over 100 classes referencing "social justice" and around 80 each mentioning "oppression" or "liberation," [8] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/02/18/harvards_crisis_stems_from_debased_curriculum_150521.html https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/02/18/harvar... [9] https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/8/lewis-reaping-what-we-taught/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/8/lewis-reaping-wh... Those are some examples but clearly they have failed to address anti semitism on their campus. Harvard also appears to be an enabler of social activism

Braxton1980 1y ago
[8,9 dup] checked the course catalog and there are classes on topics that I think most would consider social activism. The CS professor just running a word search is a poor experiment but this doesn't negate your point. [1] The DEI intitive is social activism [2] True but not an official school policy but a professor [3] Independent organization [4] Article on protests and mentions faculty support them [5-6] Accusations [7] True These are good examples. What about indoctrination though and is it wrong for Harvard to be social activists?