Cases of Academic Censorship Related to Group Identity Politics
Case File Directory
"On Sept. 7, Taylor taught the Columbian Exchange to his “Emergence of a Global Society” class. As it has in earlier years, Taylor’s instruction focused on early global trade, including trade in silver and potatoes. As part of the class, he also covered the more pernicious aspects of early trade, such as slavery, the abuse of indigenous populations, and the spreading of disease. On his final slide was a discussion prompt: “Do the positives justify the negatives?” A lively discussion ensued. One student said slavery could never be justified. According to Taylor, he clarified that no one is justifying slavery and asked students to consider global trade as a whole, including lives lost to disease and lives saved from famine.
Three days later, the Instagram account “sjuradicals” posted slides stating that Taylor “forced students to formulate a pros and cons list concerning the topic of slavery” and alleged he “poses a dangerous threat to the education of our student body.” The final item urged readers to direct a form letter to the university in order to “bring meaningful justice to this heinous crime committed by Professor Taylor.” The post also mentions Taylor’s service in the Marine Corps and the New York Police Department. Later that day, history department chair Nerina Rustomji informed Taylor by phone that he was removed from teaching."