Academic Freedom Alliance issued a public appeal to SUNY Frederickia urging the university not to revoke the academic freedom of Stephen Kershnar.
Kershnar is an expert in applied ethics. He also writes about a variety of controversial subjects, such as “adult-child sexuality.” A monograph he wrote on the subject was published in an academic journal. His work was discussed on YouTube by him, which is where the problems began. The comments he made about adult-child sex were picked-up by what has become a widespread set of right-leaning media outlets and campus watchdog organizations, including Campus Reform. Libs of TiktokThe Twitter account of the Post Millennial and New York Post.
SUNY Fredonia has issued a denunciation via tweetIt concluded that the “matter is being reviewed”.
The AFA letter
On behalf of Academic Freedom Alliance, I would like to stress that Professor Kershnar is free from academic restrictions in his research and teaching. His public discussions on the issues are protected under freedom speech principles. Under these conditions, there is simply nothing that the university can review. In the face of such controversy, the university has an obligation to offer a platform where ideas can be expressed, criticised, and debated. If a faculty member is subject to such scrutiny, they are likely to face abuse or threats. It is the responsibility of the university to provide shelter and support and not to add to that harassment.
You can read the entire article here.