Tensions within CUNY’s Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) continue to escalate as two professors find themselves under investigation for publicly criticizing the college's pro-Palestinian programming. BMCC has been at the center of recent controversies, including the offering of credit to graduate students for watching the film Farha, in which IDF troops are depicted executing a Palestinian family, as well as its pro-Palestinian exhibition that accused Israel of ethnic cleansing.
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Assistant mathematics professor Avraham Goldstein and an unnamed colleague are now at the center of an investigation, after voicing their concerns about the events organized by BMCC's Social Justice and Equity Centers, which led to a public outcry and the subsequent apology from the college, as well as the complete shut down of the new unit. However, it appears their act of speaking out has brought them under scrutiny from the university administration.
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Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki speaks at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council
(Photo: Mike Segar)
The Office of Compliance and Diversity at BMCC informed the professors that they are being investigated for engaging with the media regarding the events that transpired in March. While the college maintains the probe is a result of complaints made by Nadia Saleh, then the Social Justice and Equity Centers Multicultural Center (MCC) program coordinator, the professors view this investigation as an attempt to silence their dissenting perspectives. Saleh alleges the professors' engagement with the press contributed to inaccurate portrayals of herself, based on her ethnicity and religion, further accusing Goldstein of harassment for sharing news articles on social media.
Goldstein firmly believes the investigation is a form of retaliation orchestrated by the CUNY Administration, portraying it as a retaliation by CUNY Administration for his activity, publicly complaining about the antisemitic events on BMCC campus, and for his complaints against those responsible for these events.
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Some CUNY students and faculty felt 'unsafe' after Nerdeen Kiswani gave the commencement speech at CUNY School of Law last week
(Photo: Courtesy)
The situation at BMCC echoes a broader trend within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, where debates about Israel, the Palestinians and antisemitism have become increasingly contentious. Critics argue these new investigations are sending a message that expressing pro-Israel views or filing complaints on such matters is discouraged within the CUNY system.
As the BMCC professors' investigation unfolds, questions about academic freedom, freedom of speech and the delicate balance between fostering diverse viewpoints and maintaining a respectful academic environment, remain at the forefront of the discourse within CUNY and its affiliated institutions.
Requests for comment from CUNY went unanswered.