Q&A: A Lecturer Was Dismissed
A Lecturer Was Dismissed
Question
A computer science lecturer at Ben-Gurion was removed from his position because he said about IDF soldiers that they had been educated to murder children, along with other gems.
You can see more here: https://sheva7.walla.co.il/item/3730305
Is it justified to dismiss a lecturer because of what he expressed? Is there a limit to what can be expressed within the bounds of public discourse? If, for example, he had also made racist statements, would that still be considered within the bounds of free speech, and could we be confident that he would not discriminate because of his views? And when he says this about IDF soldiers, at a time when many of his students are reservists, can we be sure that he will not discriminate?
In fact there are two aspects here: on the merits, should he be thrown out because of unacceptable views; and if not, what do we do when we fear that those views will lead to discrimination?
Answer
The answer is in the body of the question. There is no justification for dismissing a lecturer because of opinions of any kind. Of course, he is not supposed to express them at the university. The concern about discrimination always exists. Also on the right, when people think all Arabs are terrorists, they may discriminate against an Arab student. And if he is harming the state in his academic capacity, and perhaps even generally as well (such as activity encouraging BDS), then there is room not to fund him.
Discussion on Answer
The accusation of whataboutism makes no impression on me whatsoever. This is the usual demagoguery (speaking of political answers). I answered that neither side has justification to dismiss someone because of opinions.
As for the contradiction you found in my words, you’d do well to improve your reading comprehension. Still, I’ll contribute something to you in that area. I wrote that in principle, opinions are not grounds for dismissal. And that is indeed my position. But there is room for the claim that if the opinion in question causes harm, then it is justified not to fund him from the budget of the state that he is harming. Of course, we’re talking about agreed-upon harm, not something that merely goes against my personal opinion. And no, not every delusion is an opinion.
You gave a bit of a politician’s answer. First of all, even if the concern always exists, that doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. Statements like “all Arabs are terrorists” are also problematic if heard from a lecturer; that’s just whataboutism. And what does it mean not to fund him? Ben-Gurion is a public university funded by the state, so according to your approach, if a lecturer expresses views that harm the state, he should be dismissed (that is, the funding should stop). So unequivocally, there is justification for dismissing a lecturer because of certain kinds of views (unlike the first part of your answer).