Dear Duke Political Science Major:

A few days ago, a research professor in our department, Jerry Hough, posted noxious and repugnant comments on the New York Times website in response to an editorial on the recent unrest in Baltimore. We, like so many members of the Duke community, were offended by these remarks. We are writing to you today to emphasize that these comments do not reflect the values of the Political Science Department at Duke. As a department, we are deeply committed to providing an inclusive, open, tolerant, and safe educational environment for all of our students. While we are mindful that the principle of academic freedom gives faculty great latitude in voicing their opinions, as a university and department, we have a fundamental responsibility to guarantee that our classrooms are open and safe environments for learning. We want to reassure you that we will be vigilant in making sure that the kinds of prejudice represented by these comments will not be reflected in the conduct of faculty in the classroom.

Sincerely,Jack Knight, ChairGeorg Vanberg, Director of Undergraduate Studies