Fwd: URGENT: BuzzFeed News inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment
[{"sender": "Lawrence Krauss", "recipients": ["nancy dahl", "Lawrence Krauss"], "timestamp": "12/11/2017 5:53:12 AM", "subject": "Fwd: URGENT: BuzzFeed News inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment", "body": "First draft: \nIt is hard to know how to respond to a list of false and/or distorted allegations, along with misleading statements \non your part. Needless to say, I treat people I interact with with respect, and I work hard to support and mentor \nstudents, colleagues, and members of the general public. I do not sexually harass people. If the purpose of your \nreporting is to somehow argue that that Universities and other institutions are lax in dealing with well known \nindividuals like myself, then in fact the situation is quite the opposite. My high public profile opens me up to \nmore scrutiny at these institutions, not less, and it also opens me up to a host of outside complaints and \nallegations that other faculty do not receive, each of which the University has to respond to. The fact that I have \nremained a professor in all Universities with which I have been associated, in good standing, and also an officer \nor an invited speaker at organizations like CFI, which have strict harassment policies, is a confirmation of the \nfact that they trust my behavior. I was asked to be an honorary director of CFI, and invited to their last 3 \nmeetings to speak, specifically because, as they have written me after the fact, the attendees universally \nappreciated my talks, my courtesy, and graciousness in spending time with the attendees. If the purpose of your \nreport is to impugn my integrity or suggest I have a history of harassment, that too is false. As noted in one of \nyour 'miscellaneous facts', as a scientist I try and remain skeptical, and rely on empirical evidence, rather than \nallegations and innuendo. I also try and judge the facts in context. The fact that Universities and other \norganizations employ me or have me on their boards, or invite me to meetings is because they value my \ncontributions and my actions. \nYour specific allegations are false or distorted. Item 1 refers to a consensual encounter in my hotel room in \n2006 where we mutually decided, in a polite discussion in fact, that taking it any further would not be \nappropriate, and had respectful encounters afterwards. I cannot comment on item 3, which involves an \nanonymous 3rd party claim, because I know nothing about it, and it was not taken seriously enough to result in \nany university action. Item 4 is confusing. Are you saying that because I decided I didn't want to go out to a \nbar with a group of attendees that I was harassing them? The second part is false. I don't do that. Re incident \n5: The 'female companion' in this case is my wife, who can attest to the fact that the claim is false, which is \nwhat I wrote in response to the blog in question, causing it to be taken down. \nIt is worthwhile responding to Item 2 and 6 in more detail, \nRe item 2: the student in question was interested in science communication, and on dozens of occasions came \nto me or wrote to me with questions. When she asked about advice for after graduation I DID tell her she was \ndifferent than the other students in her year. The rest of them were interested in going on to graduate school, \nbut she was interested in science communication so I told her that she might want to take a different path. Since \nshe was the only woman in her year, as I recall, I did ask her on one of these occasions if that made it difficult \nfor her in any way. I asked, because as a faculty member I was interested, and also because as someone she had \nasked for career advice from I wanted to know if that made a difference to her. Re asking her for dinner.. I have \ngone back over emails from that period. I have numerous requests from her to go for coffee to talk, which I \nusually had to turn down because I was busy, including several occasions where she asked me to have coffee \nwith her off campus to talk, and I politely declined. I did let her accompany me off campus one time to watch \nme do a BBC interview because she specifically requested it. I did and do have coffee and meals with students \non campus, and I see nothing wrong with this. I was shocked when I later learned of her complaint, not least \nbecause there was no inappropriate interaction and also because well after the date on which she is said to have \nbeen offended, she continued to email me with joking questions or comments, and at a AAAS conference in \n2008, for which she had asked, and for which I had written her a letter of recommendation to attend, my wife \nand I gave her a lift well out of our way to drop her off at her hotel, and I note in an email response to her \nemail about the conference, again in 2008, I expressed that I would pass her regards along to my wife and vice \nversa. When the University informed me of the complaint I was shocked and concerned. When I spoke to \nthe human resources person, including relating my concerns and providing the emails in question, I was told \nthat no formal complaint of sexual harassment was deemed to be warranted in this case, and that the young \nwoman in question had agreed to that. By that time I learned of the complaint I had already announced my \nintentions to leave Case to accept an offer at ASU—a very difficult decision for me because of my long-\nstanding attachment to the University, and the excellent relations I had with my colleagues there, both among \nthe faculty and among the administration. Because I was already in Arizona at the time I was asked not to have \nany further interaction with the student I agreed to that request because it was basically moot. I was also told \nthat because it was being handled informally, that (a) it should remain confidential, which I, at least abided by, \nand (b) if no further complaints were lodged in that case, that the University would remove the allegation from \nmy record after 5 years, which makes me surprised that someone violated that written agreement with you. \nRe item 6: You report on ASU's response to item #6 , without including the fact that the University specifically \nstated there were never any allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment by me at the University, and the \noutside complaints were in fact related specifically to your item #6. Further you neglect to mention that this \ncomplaint was by an anonymous third party, not the individual who was allegedly harassed, who never lodged a \ncomplaint, and that no specific evidence was provided of the alleged transgression. I was surprised and \ndismayed that both ASU and ANU launched investigations on the basis of this but was told by both Universities \nthat because of my high profile even such unsubstantiated third party complaints at private events unrelated to \nthe University would be investigated. The complaint was investigated thoroughly by both ASU and ANU and \nboth came to the conclusion that it was not credible and no university policies had been violated. In addition \nANU's investigation, which took a full month found significant inconsistencies in the allegation, suggesting \ndistortion and fabrication, I will quote from the ANU report. The initial complaint, which in fact resulted in a \ntemporary suspension by ANU outlined the claim you made in the words you quoted in your note to me, along \nwith the statement made in the complaint that \n\"It is the University's understanding that a complaint was lodged directly to the conference organisers at the \ntime of the incident.\" \nAfter the investigation, the final report absolved me of any wrongdoing, and indicated information inconsistent \nwith the original claim and apparent later claims as follows: \n\"The allegations were made by an observer to the incident. \n- The complaint did not identify, nor disclose the identity of the conference attendee who was allegedly touched \nin \nan unwelcome manner. \n- The conference attendee who took the `selfie' photo did not lodge a formal complaint to the conference \norganisers \nat the time of the incident (November 2016). \n- The conference attendee who witnessed the incident, did not lodge a formal complaint to the conference \norganisers \nat the time of the incident (November 2016). \nThe photo submitted as part of the complaint does not provide evidence of any physical contact. \n- The complainant alleged that a photo exists, showing your hand on the breast of the conference attendee who \ntook \nthe `selfie' photo. This photo was not made available to the Australian National University, although it was \nrequested \nin the course of the investigation.\" \n(And for the record I often put my hand up in front of a camera if there is a flash, as I specifically request selfies \nnot to include flashes, so that I don't end up with a series bright spots in front of my eyes for the next half hour) \nWhat makes this particular type of allegation so repugnant is that I get asked for literally thousands of selfies, \nand when people come up to me they are vulnerable, often shaking, and sometimes overly aggressive. I am \nparticularly proud of the way I attempt to make all people feel at ease, and respected, rather than humiliated. \nThus, this false claim strikes at the heart of what I am about, which is to acknowledge fans in a way that makes \nthem feel appreciated. As I understand you had a reporter watching me sign books and take selfies at the CFI \nconference in Las Vegas this year, that behavior is what they will have witnessed. Moreover, I am proud of the \ninteractions I have had at both Case and ASU, with students, colleagues and staff. I have had numerous female \ngraduate students, postdocs, employees, and colleagues, and as ASU attested to you, none of these have ever \ncomplained of harassment. Quite the contrary in fact, as I have worked hard to support them, mentor them, and \ntreat them with respect. I treat others as responsible adults, and I expect to be treated equally."}, {"sender": "Peter Aldhous", "recipients": ["Lawrence Krauss"], "timestamp": "December 10, 2017 at 5:12:27 PM PST", "subject": "URGENT: BuzzFeed News inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment", "body": "Dr. Krauss: \nAs you know, I'm a reporter for BuzzFeed News who has been investigating sexual misconduct allegations \nagainst you. As we've already discussed by email, I'd very much like to interview you about these allegations in \ndetail. \nIn particular, you stated in an email sent on Nov 13 that two universities had investigated an incident (# 6 \nbelow). You claimed that \"both Universities independently concluded that the report was unsubstantiated and \nfabricated with malicious intent.\" We are not aware that either university concluded fabrication or malicious \nintent, so if you have evidence to support this assertion, we would like to see and discuss it. \nThe story concerns your actions towards students while a professor of physics at Case Western Reserve \nUniversity, as well as your conduct in non-academic settings as a prominent figure in the skeptics movement. I \nam reporting this story along with two of my colleagues on the science desk, Azeen Ghorayshi and Virginia \nHughes. \nOur story is about several allegations of sexual misconduct dating from 2006 to 2016 (see full details below). \nOur reporting also goes into how the various institutions you have been affiliated with — Case Western, \nArizona State University, the Australian National University, the New College of the Humanities, and the Center \nfor Inquiry, for which you serve as an honorary member of the board of directors — have handled complaints \nand concerns about your behavior during this time. \nOur story is corroborated by emails, university documents, official complaints, testimony from victims and \neyewitnesses, and interviews with more than two dozen of your current and former academic colleagues, \nstudents, and peers in the skeptics movement. \nI wanted to offer you the opportunity to comment and/or respond to the main facts we plan to publish. If you \nwish to comment on any of the below findings, we need to hear from you as soon as possible. We are \nplanning on publishing our story Tuesday morning, Eastern US Time."}]