Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

I am sure many of you are aware of a Wall Street Journal opinion piece authored by former Clark employee Mary Jane Rein, in which she shared her account of events leading to her resignation on Sunday. I recognize many of you may have questions and concerns prompted by the piece. The University does not, as a matter of policy, disclose details related to employment matters. But because Ms. Rein made her account public, I feel it is important to share what information I can.

Let me begin by recognizing Ms. Rein’s service as a valued member of our university community for 20 years. Many of us value her contributions to the development and growth of the Strassler Center as its executive director. She created a network of colleagues, supporters, and friends who appreciate her, and she leaves a legacy of impact. There is deep pride in the Strassler Center’s work. It is an institutional gem with international prestige and is an important center of thought and scholarship.

Now, to address some of the claims published in The Wall Street Journal.

In her opinion piece, Ms. Rein describes events that occurred on another campus — not here at Clark — at which a speaker’s presentation was disrupted by members of the audience, including several Clark students. The disruption caused the event to be ended abruptly and it continued afterward. Clark University was not involved in organizing or managing the event.

I am disappointed that the speaker, who was invited to share their perspective, would be disrupted, and that Ms. Rein felt confronted by students after the event. Had this kind of disruption or confrontation happened at an event on our campus, we likely would have intervened and may have enforced our Student Code of Conduct if and as warranted. Shouting down a speaker or otherwise preventing them from being heard is absolutely unacceptable and I am proud that during a time of great division in the world we have been able to gather on our campus and address challenging issues with civility and respect.

I’ve been asked whether the University has taken or will take disciplinary action against any Clark students who engaged in the disruption and confrontation. The University takes very seriously any allegations of misconduct, but our ability to hold students accountable for behavior off campus is, in fact, limited. Our Code of Conduct clearly states that students are subject to disciplinary action for behavior off campus when the University is notified of behavior that violates federal, state, and local laws. As objectionable as the incident was, it did not reach this threshold.

Finally, Ms. Rein was not discouraged from engaging in issues or expressing her views freely. The guidance she received was meant not to limit speech, but to clarify, going forward, if she was speaking in her capacity as executive director of the Strassler Center. This is important because it helps to avoid confusion over whether an administrator is representing the University in their official role. We would provide this guidance to any administrator at Clark University, and do so regardless of religion, personal identity, or political views.

Since the publication of Ms. Rein’s piece, I‘ve also been dismayed by the seeming disconnect between some of the public commentary about Clark and the actual lived experience at our University. We are not perfect, no institution is, but we have a 137-year history of being a very special place … an important place, making significant positive impact. This is in large part because of the way in which we fulfill our mission and how integral community and a dedication to one another are to our efforts. The more we lean into this tremendous strength — in our core and in our resolve — the more likely it is that we can be the best version of ourselves.

Please know that I take it very seriously if anyone, including Ms. Rein, experiences antisemitism or any other form of hate or prejudice — openly, latently, directly, or indirectly — on our campus. It is entirely inconsistent with our values as an institution and it cannot be accepted. It takes commitment, every day, to overcome these sentiments and ensure that ours is a University that values everyone, celebrates difference, and lives our ethos of respect, compassion and understanding. No member of our community should ever feel that they do not have a voice or that they do not belong at Clark. This is an ongoing effort to which we must all remain dedicated. I can assure you, I am.

Sincerely,
David Fithian ’87