Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Teacher Harassed and Confronted with Anti-Semitic Behavior at Kingsborough Community College. Investigation in Progress.

Michael Goldstein, a Business Communications Teacher at Kingsborough Community College, has been faced with harassment due to his political views that he identifies as anti-semitic. These have included nails in his car tires, banging on his office window, defacing his office door with swastikas and profane messages. The school reports that these matters are under investigation. CCS has written the President of the school, as well as the Interim Chancellor and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees requesting a thorough and transparent investigation – making their findings public.

March 5 2019

Claudia V. Schrader
President
Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Boulevard.
Brooklyn, NY 11235

Dear President Schrader:

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We write to express our concern for Michael Goldstein, a 20-year-veteran business communications teacher and administrator at Kingsborough Community College who reportedly has faced harassment due to his political views that he has identified as anti-Semitic. These include putting nails in his car tires, banging on his office window, and defacing his office door with swastikas and a profane message that included the phrase “Kill the Zionist Entity”.

Intimidation of those with differing political points of view is antithetical to the protection of academic freedom – a core value for any institution of higher learning. We are sure you agree that allegations of anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of prejudice must be taken with extreme seriousness.

We understand that these incidents, according to school officials, are under active investigation. We urge you to ensure that the investigation into this alleged harassment and these alleged acts of anti-Semitism and vandalism is thorough and transparent and its results made public.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter, and we look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

cc:
Vita C. Rabinowitz
CUNY Interim Chancellor
205 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

William C. Thompson, Jr.
Chairperson
CUNY Board of Trustees
205 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

Myles Axton, Chief Editor, Genetics and Genomics Next

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

David Gross, University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Giorgio Parisi, Roma I University La Sapienza

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, New England Biolabs*

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Former Honorary Board Members

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deseased) Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser (deceased), Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy (deceased), University of Pittsburgh

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

Louis Nirenberg (deceased), New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Myriam Sarachick (deceased), City College of New York

Harold Scheraga (deceased), Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Steven Weinberg (deceased), University of Texas, Austin*

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 273
Mountainhome, PA 18342
abender@concernedscientists.org