College professors have every right to be provocative, even outrageous, in their efforts to challenge established biases and inspire creative thought. But to incite rage with cruelty, to the point where safety is compromised that's different.

Faced with a situation that went beyond the boundaries of merely provocative, Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney responded with aplomb this week, decrying the irresponsible use of academic license and calling for a review of the incident to determine if college policies were violated.

The issue arose when Trinity Associate Professor Johnny Eric Williams posted on Facebook a link to an essay that many found objectionable at best.

Titled "Let Them [Expletive] Die," the essay encouraged people to "do nothing" if they saw "the bigots" in life-threatening situations and ended with the exhortation to "Let. Them. [Expletive]. Die. And smile a bit when you do."

Mr. Williams repeated the essay's title in subsequent Facebook posts, including one calling for an "end to the vectors of their destructive mythology of whiteness and their white supremacy system."

Many saw it as an endorsement of the thinking behind the essay, a stance Mr. Williams denied.

"This was an admittedly provocative move to get readers to pay attention to my reasoned, reasonable, and yes angry argument," he wrote, meant "to draw the attention of the readers to the current dire state of white supremacy in the nation."

If he meant to be provocative, he succeeded. But he also created an unsafe atmosphere at the college, which was shut down for a day in response to threats. Free speech has consequences. Mr. Williams is a member of a broader community at Trinity and should have kept that in mind.

Trinity College / HANDOUT

Johnny Eric Williams, associate professor of sociology at Trinity College. (Trinity College) User Upload Caption: Johnny Eric Williams, associate professor of sociology at Trinity College. (Trinity College) hc

Johnny Eric Williams, associate professor of sociology at Trinity College. (Trinity College) User Upload Caption: Johnny Eric Williams, associate professor of sociology at Trinity College. (Trinity College) hc (Trinity College / HANDOUT)

Ms. Berger-Sweeney told Mr. Williams that "his use of the [title of the essay] was reprehensible," she wrote to the Trinity community. "No matter its intent, it goes against our fundamental values as an institution, and I believe its effect is to close minds rather than open them."

That's the right approach. The title was uncivil, even heartless. It provokes anger and was not worthy of a teacher of young minds.

Mr. Williams' tacit endorsement of a mindset so abhorrent was remarkably poor judgment. Ms. Berger-Sweeney is right to denounce it, yet she should ensure that the college's response doesn't squelch vigorous, even uncomfortable, debate.

Here is the original post:

Trinity Right To Denounce Deplorable Posts - Hartford Courant