Jason Wingard, PhD T 215-204-7405 President F 215-204-5600 Sullivan Hall, Suite 200
1330 Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19122
January 20, 2022
VIA EMAIL
Morton A. Klein, National President
Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., Director, Center for Law and Justice
Zionist Organization of America
633 Third Avenue, Suite 31-B
New York, NY 10017
Dear Mr. Klein and Ms. Tuchman,
Thank you for your letters dated January 17 and January 19, 2022 concerning an incident of antisemitism between two of our students on our campus. We have been in contact with a number of organizations focused on this issue, and the input of all is recognized and taken seriously.
As I am sure you know well, when parents send their students off to further their education, they do so with trust and expectation that their children will have a positive experience. Students, faculty members and our entire university community want to have confidence that they can live, learn, teach, and grow in an environment free from mindless hatred and intolerance.
I want to specifically acknowledge and try to respond to your concern regarding urgency in addressing and decrying any incident of hate, injustice, or discrimination. At a personal level, I share your sentiment that when the unacceptable or unthinkable occurs, anything short of an immediate and conclusive reaction feels inadequate. But the university has, in place, meticulously and collectively developed standards and procedures for addressing student conduct. Through those standards and procedures, we not only impose accountability for behavior, we provide consistency, fairness, and due process for the young adults we are seeking to educate and support.
I submit to you that this is exactly how Temple responded in this case. I also acknowledge, again, that to an outside observer, it may not appear fast enough, or decisive enough, or punitive enough. I have faith in the integrity of our process, and in the outcome of this case, which has now been closed.
I will not recount for you the restrictions imposed upon us, and other universities, by federal privacy laws such as the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, which prohibit us from disclosing specifics related to incidents involving students. I am sure you are familiar with these restrictions. I reference them here as an explanation, not an excuse, as to why we are unable to provide detail.
Having said that, after conducting a review of the scope and chronology of events in this situation, I am confident that Temple’s rigorous standards of accountability were met at every stage and level of consideration. And, importantly, university supports and resources to ameliorate the harm caused in this case were also extended.
This incident was thoroughly investigated, as is every incident referred to Student Conduct and Community Standards. The complainant, Sasha Westrick, was invited and encouraged to participate in the process to share the impact of the reported misconduct. After a full review and due process, we addressed the issue appropriately pursuant to our procedures, and we have been actively engaged in supporting the affected students since we became aware of the situation.
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To be clear, Temple University condemns, in the strongest possible terms, any discrimination or bias based on religion, nationality, race, disability, veteran status, gender, sexual orientation or identity, including antisemitism.
As incidents of discrimination and bias seemingly proliferate around the world – this past weekend’s horrific hostage situation at a Congregation Beth Israel in Texas being a current example – we recognize that antisemitism is a significant, growing concern for Jewish students, which merits serious attention.
With the help of partners in the Jewish community, and experts on our own campus, we are continually working to implement best practices to combat antisemitism and build a positive campus climate for Jewish students and all students. We have reached out to the Anti-Defamation League as well as the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia regarding this incident. Those discussions are ongoing, and we will continue to work collaboratively to ensure the physical and mental safety of Temple’s Jewish students.
Temple University participates in Hillel International Training sessions for campus leaders and their Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) cohort for the 2021-22 academic year. CCI is an opportunity for Temple to build on the vital work already underway on our campus and is an important next step in our commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for our Jewish students, faculty, and staff.
In addition, the university provides regular education and programming on campus regarding the perils of hate, bias, and antisemitism. For example, we hosted a virtual teach-in entitled, “After Charlottesville: Neo-Nazism, White Supremacy, Antisemitism and Racism,” following the Neo-Nazi “Unite the Right” rally in Virginia. This Friday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro will engage in a zoom dialogue on Temple’s collective response to antisemitism, Islamophobia, violence against Asian Americans, all other hate crimes, and community development and safety.
Through our Diversity Nexus, comprised of our Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership (IDEAL), Title IX and Equal Opportunity Compliance, we work to engage and empower our community through workshops on a wide variety of subjects ranging from bystander intervention in promoting social justice and living in a diverse world, to implicit and unconscious bias. Our anti discrimination and harassment policy is a critical element of the training that every student and student organization is required to take. In February we will continue to reinforce our values surrounding diversity and anti-discrimination at our Annual Inclusive Leadership Conference.
We do an enormous amount of work to fulfill the expectation I mentioned above that coming to a university will be a positive experience and an opportunity for growth and maturation. We are committed to continuing to seek and embrace opportunities to foster an environment where our Jewish students feel supported, and we will steadfastly champion their rights should an incident occur to ensure that justice prevails.
Best,
Dr. Jason Wingard
President
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