Vol. 17, No. 15	Dec. 18, 1997

To: Members of the University Community

From: David Roselle, President

As you are undoubtedly aware, there is a controversy that has resulted from the Dec. 5, 1997, issue of The Review, the student-run newspaper. That issue contained several items that have been labeled as anti-Semitic and offensive to some members of the campus community. The fact is that the material is an affront to all of us.

Last week, the President's Commission to Promote Racial and Cultural Diversity, issued the following statement:

As the President's Commission to Promote Racial and Cultural Diversity, we protest the editorial decisions apparent in the Dec. 5, 1997, issue of The Review. Specifically, that issue contains two cartoons, an advertisement and a guest column that are blatantly offensive.

We do not know whether the poor decision-making of the editorial board of The Review was prompted by malice or a lack of understanding of important issues. We do know that the content is offensive because of its mindlessness, insensitivity and bigotry, and we deeply regret that The Review has associated our institution with such wrong-headed nonsense.

I have felt an obligation to determine whether there was, in fact, "malice" involved in the editorial decisions made by The Review editors. As indicated in the commission's statement, the issue of the student newspaper in question contained multiple offensive items, and so there are many persons who have concluded that very sinister motives were involved in the students' editorial decisions. I have believed that our institution would be judged to have whitewashed this extremely serious situation unless I was able to express not only my personal repugnance at it, but also to comment substantively upon the issue of intent.

I can now report that our inquiries have not resulted in any facts from which one can conclude that there was malicious intent on the part of the students involved. The entire unhappy incident also has been reviewed by reporters and the editorial staff of The (Wilmington) News Journal, and their conclusions are similar to ours. I refer you to the editorial from the Dec. 14 issue of the Sunday News Journal, reprinted here with permission.

More important to my mind than either the results of my inquiries or those of The News Journal has been the deportment of The Review's student editors. They have denied malicious intent and they have apologized. Every evidence is that they are genuinely sorry, sympathetic to the persons who have been distressed by the results of the editorial decisions, willing to discuss how those decisions were reached and intent upon avoidance of future mistakes. You can review their statement at http://www.review.udel.edu.

The Review is one of the oldest, continuously published college newspapers in the country. Both financially and editorially independent, the paper has provided excellent opportunities for our students to learn journalistic skills during its 115 years of existence. The newspaper has been an important contributor to and motivator of campus dialogues. At no time during the current controvery has the administration of our University considered placing controls upon or otherwise restricting the First Amendment rights enjoyed by an independent newspaper.

In the case at hand, the editorial decisions were not only independent (and a terrible misrepresentation) of the University of Delaware, but they also were uninformed. Just as has happened at several other major universities, we believe that our students were duped by a "Holocaust denier." Indeed, we have been informed that ours is the 71st such institution, and it is a disappointment that, given this history and the notoriety of the principal, The Review editors were not forewarned. The absurdity of Holocaust denial is exceeded only by its obscenity, and it is regrettable that our institution has become associated with such nonsense.

It is also troubling that the student editors do not regularly consult members of the University's faculty and staff or others as they seek to formulate or select editorial opinion. In contrast, student reporters routinely consult such sources when they write their news stories. We believe that it should be possible to have a truly independent newspaper that makes all good efforts to publish only well-informed editorial opinion, and we must all work with all involved to better achieve this goal. Certainly, professional journalists consult others when formulating editorial opinions, and encouraging a similar thought process for The Review's editors would thus seem to be educationally valid.

My feelings about this incident are not at variance with those in the statement from the President's Commission to Promote Racial and Cultural Diversity. I would add that, when I became fully aware of the content of the Dec. 5 issue of The Review, I was deeply saddened. But, I have now become optimistic that my goal for our institution-to be a place that is welcoming to all persons-will be more quickly attained because of the ordeal occasioned by the bad decisions of the editorial board of The Review.

That the incident was viewed on our campus as abhorrent (being so repugnant as to stir up positive antagonism) is evidenced by the many constructive suggestions that have been made to counter any credibility that could possibly be assigned to the "Holocaust deniers." In particular, I have been heartened by the fact that three Holocaust survivors have volunteered to talk to student groups or otherwise be of assistance. I am very proud to represent an institution where colleagues have expressed not only outrage, but also their desire to assist our University and the persons who have been affected by the incident in question.

I want all members of the campus community to be aware that this is a very serious matter. I deeply regret the situation and apologize to all who have been pained by it. I offer our efforts to understand exactly what occurred and then to put matters on a better track as measures of our sincerity.

Your comments, particularly as they may apply to helping our institution design educational programs or other responses related to this situation, are invited.