August 20, 1993

Hon. James P. Murphy
Chair, Board of Trustees
City University of New York
535 East 80th Street
New York, NY 10036

Dear Chairman Murphy:

The Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council, at its last meeting [August 16, 1993] unanimously voted to urge City University to renew its efforts to remove Leonard Jeffries as Chair of City College's Black Studies Department and a tenured professor there. Federal Judge Kenneth Conboy's, in ruling for Mr. Jeffries re-instatement, wrote that "the Court does not constrain the defendants from removing Professor Jeffries for good cause...".

Clearly, Judge Conboy's ruling poses no impediment to the removal of Professor Jeffries as both Chair of Black Studies and as a tenured Professor.

In a September 1991 NEQJCC letter to Chancellor W. Ann Reynolds, I wrote: "Academic freedom ought not to protect any individual who does not meet the basic qualifications in scholarship demanded of any other University Professors and departmental chairs." A review of Mr. Jeffries status based on the usual traditional standards of scholarship, teaching and administrative ability should provide a clear and convincing case for his removal as a departmental chair, a revocation of his tenure and termination of his position on City College's faculty.

It remains clear that the City University and City College owe to students, faculty, staff and taxpayers quality faculty hires, tenure decisions and chair appointments. Hiring Mr. Jeffries, granting him tenure and appointing him chair of Black Studies at City College demonstrated a failure of scholarship, leadership and management at City College and City University. Mr. Jeffries hateful speech merely highlighted the failures and inadequacies of City College and City University in maintaining such an unqualified and unscholarly individual in an academic position - at taxpayer expense. This must be rectified.

The City University Board of Trustees must take appropriate steps now to correct past mistakes regarding the hiring of this person who preaches hate.

Thank you for your attention in this matter. I look forward to an early reply.

Sincerely,

COREY B. BEARAK
President

c. Sharon Nadel, Executive Director

    Queens Jewish Community Council

    Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York

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