To the Editors of the Yale Daily News:

Let me preface the following comments about the conflict between Doutaghi, Yale and due process with the statement that I am neither remotely pro-Palestinian nor remotely pro-Israel as far as any territorial dispute they are having is concerned. There are grievous wrongs on both sides. History is unambiguously on the side of a Jewish homeland somewhere in the ancient biblical regions of Judah and Israel. History is also unambiguously in support of a finding that at no time has that Jewish homeland included the Gaza Strip. The Philistines occupied what is now called Gaza since at least the time that Moses crossed the Sinai, circa 1300 B.C., and that territory has remained outside of the Jewish homeland. Both sides of this dispute view the outcome as existential. Both sides are correct in this belief. But the current mostly Muslim population has the better historical claim to Gaza than does Israel. With that said:

I’ve read the YDN and other articles about the termination of Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi’s employment by Yale. As a retired trial attorney, I must note that Yale has revealed no information on which it alleges it relied in terminating Dr. Doutaghi’s employment that would be even remotely admissible in evidence against her in a court of law. The paltry information that Yale has revealed is ludicrously inadequate to justify even any administrative action against her. I hope that Yale does not announce officially that it believes the invocation of one’s rights against self-incrimination is now grounds to terminate employment with Yale … but it appears from Yale’s conduct that it has so concluded … but perhaps limited only to situations where it is necessary in order to bow deeply enough and scrape vigorously enough before Trump the Terminator of Truth and Democracy. I also hope that Yale is not relying for justification on the fact that Dr. Doutaghi is her own worst advocate — as especially revealed by her various video protestations. She would make an absolutely terrible witness in any trial or hearing before a disinterested audience.

Yale is following the shameful path of other universities similarly situated by yielding to the actual and implied threats of a narcissistic, ignorant, dangerous, and all too predictable bully. Does Yale really think that it can avoid Trumpian wrath by bowing and scraping just once? If so, the administration would be well advised to consult with its renowned Department of History. No doubt the administration would then be admonished by said department, starting with stories arising from the activities of Senator McCarthy and the House Unamerican Activities Committee. Unless, of course, the History Department has also already been cowed by the bully.

Yours, 

James Luce

Yale College ’66