FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno State President, Dr. Joseph Castro, issues a statement Tuesday afternoon on the conclusion of the investigation — into controversial comments made by Professor Randa Jarrar. The University is not taking any disciplinary action against Jarrar.
“Although Professor Jarrar used tenure to defend her behavior, this private action is an issue of free speech and not related to her job or tenure. Therefore, the university does not have justification to support taking any disciplinary action.”
The statement detailed the conclusion to Fresno State’s investigation into the controversial comments made by English Professor Randa Jarrar.
On Twitter, she called First Lady Barbara Bush “an amazing racist,” creating a social media storm.
In the statement released on Tuesday, Dr. Joseph Castro said they “reviewed facts and consulted with CSU counsel” to determine whether they could take disciplinary action.
They concluded Professor Jarrar did not violate any CSU or university policies, as she was “acting in a private capacity and speaking about a public matter on her personal twitter account.”
The school said it’s an issue of free speech – not related to her job or tenure.
While Dr. Castro called Professor Jarrar’s conduct “insensitive, inappropriate and an embarrassment to the university,” he said they do not have justification to support taking any disciplinary action.
Professor Jarrar will remain on leave through the spring semester, “which she had previously requested before this incident.”
Click to listen to the report by Liz Kern:
SEE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
President Joseph I. Castro letter on conclusion of review regarding professor
Dear Campus Community,
I write to provide an update regarding the university’s review of comments made last week by Professor Randa Jarrar, following the passing of former First Lady Barbara Bush. This issue has raised many important questions about the scope of free speech and the extent to which a member of our university community can be held accountable for expressing his or her personal views.
Professor Jarrar’s conduct was insensitive, inappropriate and an embarrassment to the university. I know her comments have angered many in our community and impacted our students. Let me be clear, on campus and whenever we are representing the university, I expect all of us to engage in respectful dialogue.
Immediately following Professor Jarrar’s tweets last Tuesday, we carefully reviewed the facts and consulted with CSU counsel to determine whether we could take disciplinary action. After completing this process, we have concluded that Professor Jarrar did not violate any CSU or university policies and that she was acting in a private capacity and speaking about a public matter on her personal Twitter account. Her comments, although disgraceful, are protected free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, although Professor Jarrar used tenure to defend her behavior, this private action is an issue of free speech and not related to her job or tenure. Therefore, the university does not have justification to support taking any disciplinary action. Professor Jarrar will remain on leave through the Spring semester, which she had previously requested before this incident. This matter has highlighted some important issues that deserve further consultation with our academic leadership.
Our duty as Americans and as educators is to promote a free exchange of diverse views, even if we disagree with them. At Fresno State, we encourage opinions and ideas to be expressed in a manner that informs, enlightens and educates without being disparaging of others. It makes me proud when I see our students, faculty and staff debate and learn from each other. This is how we boldly educate and empower our students to succeed.
I want to thank all of you for sharing your views and opinions. By doing so, you demonstrate care for our university and commitment to our students’ success.
Sincerely,
Joseph I. Castro, Ph.D., M.P.P.
President
