CHICAGO, June 11 (UPI) -- The president of DePaul University in Chicago has confirmed the school hasn’t offered tenure to its most outspoken professor, Norman Finkelstein.
The Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, the private Catholic university’s president, said Finkelstein, known for his strong opinions regarding Judaism and Israel, was denied tenure for reasons outside the recent media attention he drew to the school, the Chicago Tribune said Monday.
“Over the past several months, there has been considerable outside interest and public debate concerning this decision,” Holtschneider said. “This attention was unwelcome and inappropriate and had no impact on either the process or the outcome of this case.”
Among Finkelstein’s most noted actions was his decision to label American-Jewish organization leaders “Holocaust mongers” and comparing World War II compensation efforts to extortion, the Tribune reported.
While many supporters of the professor rallied behind him and criticized the school, Holtschneider said he is confident the university will continue to thrive.
“Some will consider this decision in the context of academic freedom,” he told the newspaper. “In fact, academic freedom is alive and well at DePaul.”
