Tony Kushner has a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, an Emmy Award, two Tony Awards, and more than a dozen honorary degrees. But the playwright best known for Angels in America will not be receiving an honorary doctorate from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
That’s because the board of the City University of New York on Monday refused to authorize the college to grant the honor. Instead of approving the honorary degrees proposed by CUNY’s various colleges for this spring’s commencement ceremonies, the board separated out the Kushner proposal, approved the rest, and tabled the Kushner degree. The vote followed a speech by one trustee denouncing Kushner’s views on Israel.
Since the CUNY system was created in 1961, this is the first time the board has tabled such a proposed honorary doctorate. The board is not scheduled to meet again until after the graduation ceremonies are over.
The board’s action infuriated Kushner, who issued a letter Wednesday saying that his views had been distorted and that he had been unfairly maligned. Faculty members are also angry, saying that the board applied an inappropriate political litmus test to an honor that had nothing to do with Kushner’s views on Israel, which they agreed had been distorted.
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