Recently, a leading law firm in the US rescinded job offers to some students of Harvard University who had signed two separate open letters which criticized the discussion about Israel’s human rights record. Such a move by the law firm has been widely condemned by the students, activists, and Harvard faculty, who have accused the firm of unfairly depriving the students of their right of freedom of expression.
The two open letters in question had been signed by over 480 students at Harvard, Yale, Brown and Stanford. The first of them, released in 2019, was addressed to Harvard university’s administrators and featured a list of suggested changes in how the university manages and discusses human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian context. The second letter, signed in 2020, was wider in scope and addressed to several institutions. It pointed out that freedom of expression is both a legal and ethical right, and that the signatories were disappointed by some of the statements and actions taken by these institutions.
Soon after the second open letter was signed by the students, at least nine of them received emails from the law firm, which revoked the job offers that they had made earlier. According to one of the affected students, the firm told her that her involvement with the activity related to the two open letters “does not align with the firm’s values”.
The rescinded job offers have understandably angered and dismayed the students and the Harvard community. According to a joint statement released by Harvard faculty members on the issue, the action taken by the firm is “unacceptable” and “condemnable”. Their statement also affirmed the students’ right to express themselves and argued that such actions probit the functioning of academic institutions in a democracy. Moreover, a number of activists have launched online petitions and campaigns, dedicated to restoring the job offers.
Ultimately, despite the action taken by the firm, the students have remained resolute in their stand on the issue and have not backed down from their beliefs. As noted by one of the students, this episode is an example of how even subtle forms of censorship, when left unchecked, can interfere with freedom of expression and chill academic discourse.
Recently, a leading law firm in the US rescinded job offers to some students of Harvard University who had signed two separate open letters which criticized the discussion about Israel’s human rights record. Such a move by the law firm has been widely condemned by the students, activists, and Harvard faculty, who have accused the firm of unfairly depriving the students of their right of freedom of expression.
The two open letters in question had been signed by over 480 students at Harvard, Yale, Brown and Stanford. The first of them, released in 2019, was addressed to Harvard university’s administrators and featured a list of suggested changes in how the university manages and discusses human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian context. The second letter, signed in 2020, was wider in scope and addressed to several institutions. It pointed out that freedom of expression is both a legal and ethical right, and that the signatories were disappointed by some of the statements and actions taken by these institutions.
Soon after the second open letter was signed by the students, at least nine of them received emails from the law firm, which revoked the job offers that they had made earlier. According to one of the affected students, the firm told her that her involvement with the activity related to the two open letters “does not align with the firm’s values”.
The rescinded job offers have understandably angered and dismayed the students and the Harvard community. According to a joint statement released by Harvard faculty members on the issue, the action taken by the firm is “unacceptable” and “condemnable”. Their statement also affirmed the students’ right to express themselves and argued that such actions probit the functioning of academic institutions in a democracy. Moreover, a number of activists have launched online petitions and campaigns, dedicated to restoring the job offers.
Ultimately, despite the action taken by the firm, the students have remained resolute in their stand on the issue and have not backed down from their beliefs. As noted by one of the students, this episode is an example of how even subtle forms of censorship, when left unchecked, can interfere with freedom of expression and chill academic discourse.
