A Message from Prof. McLaughlin

It’s March 1, so I imagine many of you are wondering the status of Prof. McLaughlin’s job. She is currently the principal investigator on a major research grant from the NIH, which ends March 31. From what I understand, Vanderbilt will allow her to stay on as faculty until that date. She continues to wait for Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos to decide on her appeal, with no clear time frame for when that may happen. This is good news: it means we have more time to advocate for Prof. McLaughlin. 

Thank you so much to those who took action over the last week to make this story heard. More action ideas are coming your way soon. Meanwhile, Prof. McLaughlin wanted me to share this message with all of you:

We live in too much comfort. Academia was never meant to be comfortable. The purpose of our enterprise is to challenge old ideas, old ways of doing things, to pull the good from the bad and move the best parts of ourselves and our communities forward. To do this, we must discuss things frankly. To accept hard challenges again and again and cheer the process, not just the results. Our model is simple, every failure is a success if we share it and learn from it. We are not there with how Title IX is weaponized on college campuses. We are not putting student safety first. Too many victims of grabbing, groping, rape, retaliation and harassment leave the reporting process more broken by administrators and enforced silence. This is not how we heal. To heal we need truth and reconciliation. We have much truth to share with each other and many people to be part of an active evolution of decency. Where we expect great things from one another and look forward to a brighter future for students. I believe Vanderbilt will be a pioneer in this area. But no one is going to pioneer a field without a leader and a voice of descent against a system that is wrong and has wronged me and too many other women. Right now I need the job  I earned on this campus. This is my home. I want to be a scientist and an advocate. Your support empowers me to raise all boats on the tide of accountability and decency. I have read all your comments. I have seen all your signatures. I know the good and decent by name. We all see you and thank you. This is just the beginning of doing better. Thank you for being pioneers on the right side of history.