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Damage Control
Schwarz v. Tulane
Discriminatory Legacy
 
Tulane and the Jewish Question
The following letter, submitted to the Southern Poverty Law Center, expresses Bernofsky's views on the treatment of Jewish professors at Tulane.

July 25, 1998

      I am enclosing for your information a copy of a letter I recently submitted to The Times Picayune [1].  Apparently, it is too provocative to be published. It cites one example of a pattern of abuse by Tulane University officials against its Jewish professors and affords a window into the political influence Tulane uses to shield itself from plaintiffs.

      Although Jews comprise a tiny proportion of Tulane's professorate, they constitute the overwhelming majority of professors who have sued Tulane for discriminatory reasons. They include Drs. Marise Gottlieb, Stephen Schwarz, Asher Rubinstein, Melanie Ehrlich, and myself.  Dr. Ehrlich withdrew her suit upon relocation. To my knowledge, there is only one other professor, Dr. Barbara Allen, who sued for (sex) discrimination. She is not Jewish and settled "amicably" with Tulane.

      I have long grappled with the apparent contradiction of why Tulane treats its Jewish professors so poorly while it caters to Jewish students with attractive programs and campus activities. My conclusion is that a bigoted administration does not allow ideology to interfere with its business decisions. Thus, Tulane appreciates that its Jewish students contribute a high proportion of full tuitions and good SAT scores, while the generous philanthropy of its Jewish alumni is always welcome.

      In contrast, Tulane's Jewish professors appear to be hired in a manner that maintains a tacitly acceptable quota, and when adverse conditions compel them to assert their right to be treated in a nondiscriminatory manner, they are considered a threat to the status quo, become a financial liability, and are indelibly marked persona non grata. My own experience along these lines is detailed in my letter of May 6, 1998 to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Sincerely yours,
s/ Carl Bernofsky
Carl Bernofsky

Footnote

  1. That letter, on Schwarz v. Tulane, was subsequently published in Gambit Weekly.
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