Hi advocates,
It has been one week since we launched this petition to keep Professor Jason Lester at DU's Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW). Within just 24 hours the petition reached 950 signatures, and now we have an extraordinary 1,600 signatures and counting! This has become a movement. Your support and testimonials mean the world to Jason and we send our heartfelt thanks.
However, our advocacy work is far from done! Despite all of our outreach, DU decision-makers have yet to respond beyond a canned email response from the provost. Last week, the GSSW administration forcibly and selectively censored our efforts to spread awareness on campus with fact-based, non-inflammatory flyers supporting Dr. Lester. The administration's lack of transparency, efforts to silence our movement, and reluctance to discuss the issue speak volumes.
This week, let's build on our momentum and let DU know that this issue won't be swept under the rug. If you feel moved, please respectfully follow-up with these administrators who signed Dr. Lester's original dismissal letter. In your message, you can reference this petition that has 1,600+ signatures.
- Jeremy Haefner (Jeremy.Haefner@du.edu, Chancellor@du.edu)
Chancellor, University of Denver - Mary Clark (Mary.Clark@du.edu, provost@du.ed)
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, University of Denver - Henrika McCoy (Henrika.McCoy@du.edu, gsswdean@du.edu)
Morris Endowed Dean, DU Graduate School of Social Work
For current DU GSSW students and community members, there are a few events tomorrow where we can surface this social justice issue and advocate to keep Professor Jason Lester. Keep up your incredible efforts to spread awareness and hold meaningful conversations about Dr. Lester's dismissal with your professors and classes.
Tuesday, April 15th DU GSSW events (food provided):
- Social Work for Social Justice Lunch, 11am - 12pm, Craig Hall Community Room
- Shades of Brown Alliance Spring Quarter Meet & Greet for BIPOC Students and the Advisory Council on Racial Diversity, 6pm - 8pm, Craig Hall Room 484
We hope to see you there as we continue the movement to hold DU accountable for ethical decision-making and demand that they uphold social work core values by reinstating Professor Jason Lester in the GSSW faculty. We will keep you updated as events unfold. Thank you again for adding your voice for social justice!
In solidarity,
Advocates for Jason Lester
advocatesforjasonlester@gmail.com