Peter Boghossian has decided that he no longer wants to metaphorically punch a time clock in a social justice factory.
Philosophy professor Boghossian has today informed the provost of Portland State University in Oregon that he is quitting his teaching position there because the campus has apparently become besotted with intolerance to free speech.
“While I am grateful for the opportunity to have taught at Portland State for over a decade, it has become clear to me that this institution is no place for people who intend to think freely and explore ideas,” he declared in setting forth in writing various reasons for his resignation.
He also implied the taxpayer-supported institution failed its duty that it owes to students and the public to fundamentally ensure the “freedom to question.”
Boghossian is far from the only educator at the college or secondary school level who has made this kind of difficult decision because of the pervasiveness of intolerant and far-left identity politics and where diversity of opinion is shunned.
Former New York Times op-ed writer and editor and free speech champion Bari Weiss published Boghossian’s resignation letter on her Substack page.
Weiss, a liberal/centrist, herself quit the Times last year after being constantly bullied by left-wing colleagues as she outlined a blistering resignation letter she also released publicly.
In his letter, the professor recalled that he often brought in guest speakers of all worldviews to address his classes, speakers with whom he often disagreed.
He continued:
I never once believed — nor do I now — that the purpose of instruction was to lead my students to a particular conclusion. Rather, I sought to create the conditions for rigorous thought; to help them gain the tools to hunt and furrow for their own conclusions. This is why I became a teacher and why I love teaching
But brick by brick, the university has made this kind of intellectual exploration impossible. It has transformed a bastion of free inquiry into a Social Justice factory whose only inputs were race, gender, and victimhood and whose only outputs were grievance and division.
Students at Portland State are not being taught to think. Rather, they are being trained to mimic the moral certainty of ideologues. Faculty and administrators have abdicated the university’s truth-seeking mission and instead drive intolerance of divergent beliefs and opinions. This has created a culture of offense where students are now afraid to speak openly and honestly.
The letter also detailed the various incidents of harassment Boghossian experienced, plus undergoing two investigations, in connection with going public with his criticism of ideological conformity.
Prof. Boghossian achieved a certain level of fame several years ago when he managed to get several hoax papers published in peer-reviewed journals in connection with “grievance studies” that revealed the intellectual bankruptcy of academia.
The professor acknowledged in the missive that he felt he had a moral obligation to reluctantly exit Portland State.
“For ten years, I have taught my students the importance of living by your principles. One of mine is to defend our system of liberal education from those who seek to destroy it. Who would I be if I didn’t?” he concluded.
Jodi Shaw, an ex-Smith College staffer, and a self-described lifelong liberal, is among those who have also come forward as a whistleblower to challenge critical race theory orthodoxy or the equivalent.
Critical race theory whistleblower quits, will sue: You can’t shame people based on skin color https://t.co/v1U74tSguI pic.twitter.com/8JInR5gIEy
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) February 22, 2021
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
[email protected]
Robert Jonathan is a staff writer for BizPac Review. He is a longtime writer/editor for news aggregation websites and has also developed content in the legal and financial publishing sectors as well as for online education. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law, “a law school the basketball teams can be proud of.”
- ‘Petty heffa’: The View’s Ana Navarro skewered for cracking on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s appearance - December 4, 2022
- Women’s college volleyball game features incredible rally complete with diving, table-crashing safe - December 4, 2022
- Wild brawl breaks out at Fitness Connection gym, takes deciding turn when woman enters picture - December 4, 2022
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
