To the California State University Board of Trustees:
We
are the co-founders of the AMCHA Initiative, a grassroots organization
representing members and supporters of the California Jewish community –
including thousands of CSU students, alumni, parents, donors and
taxpayers – who continue to grow deeply concerned about CSU Northridge
Mathematics Professor David Klein’s use of the CSUN’s name and resources
to promote the boycott of Israel.
This
matter is of great concern to the California Jewish leaders copied on
this email, as well as to members of the Jewish community, who
overwhelmingly view boycotting the Jewish state as a virulently
anti-Semitic assault against the Jewish people. In addition, last year
the California State Assembly, whose Speaker is copied on this email,
unanimously approved a resolution recognizing
that "student- and faculty-sponsored boycott, divestment, and sanction
campaigns against Israel" are a form of campus anti-Semitism.
As
you may know, last month we provided CSUN President Dianne Harrison
with evidence that Klein had used his CSUN email account on August 10 to
promote a U.S. congressional candidate who supports the boycott of
Israel (BDS) to the list serve of the Campaign to End Israel Apartheid -
Southern California (CEIA-SC). Soon after receiving our letter, President Harrison replied that she had investigated the matter and taken "appropriate action."
It
is important to point out that this was not the first time Prof. Klein
had misused his CSUN email account to promote a BDS-supporting U.S.
congressional candidate to the list serve of CEIA-SC, an organization
that actively works towards the elimination of the Jewish state by
promoting the boycott of Israel. On at least two previous occasions Klein has misused his CSUN email account in an identical way.
In one email to the CEIA-SC list serve (dated 4/6/12) Klein wrote:
"Mike
Powelson is the Green Party Candidate for congress in the district that
includes CSUN. He is running against super-Zionists Brad Sherman and
Howard Berman. Mike strongly supports BDS. Please check out his
website and consider making a donation: http://michaelpowelsonforcongress.org/"
In a second email to the CEIA-SC list serve using his CSUN email account (dated May 9, 2012) Klein wrote:
"If
you have friends in the 30th congressional district (in the San
Fernando Valley), please urge them to vote for Mike Powelson. He is
running as the Green Party candidate against Brad Sherman and Howard
Berman, two extreme Zionists. Powelson supports BDS of Israel."
As
President Harrison understood, Klein's misuse of his CSUN email account
to promote a congressional candidate was a violation of both state law
and university policy prohibiting the use of university resources to
promote a political candidate. However, to the extent that Klein's
three emails not only promote a political candidate but a particular
political activity, namely, the boycott of Israel, Klein is also
in potential violation of California Education Code 89005.5, which states:
"No
person shall, without the permission of the Trustees of the California
State University, use this name [California State University], or any
abbreviation of it or any name of which these words are a part ...to
display, advertise, or announce this name publicly at, or in connection
with, any...promotional activity of any kind which has for its purpose
or any part of its purpose the support, endorsement,
advancement...of...boycott."
In this regard, Klein's CSUN-hosted "Boycott Israel Resource Page," whose
sole purpose is to promote the academic, cultural, and economic boycott
of Israel, is an even more flagrant example of the use of the
university's name and resources for the "support, endorsement,
advancement...of...boycott."
Please
understand that the law is quite clear on this matter: If Klein has
received your permission to use the name and resources of the California
State University to promote the boycott of Israel, he has not violated
Cal. Educ. Code 89005.5. If, however, you have NOT given Klein your
permission to use the name of the California State University for the
support, endorsement, or advancement of the boycott of Israel, then
Klein's use of his CSUN email account and the CSUN server for that
express purpose is a violation of state law, and he is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
AMCHA
therefore asks you to publicly clarify your position on this matter:
Has the Board of Trustees given Prof. Klein permission to use his CSUN
email account and the CSUN server to promote the boycott of Israel?
As you might imagine, a great many individuals are eager to hear your answer to this question.
We
look forward to hearing from you soon. If we do not, we will assume
that you have given Klein permission to use CSUN's name and resources to
promote the boycott of Israel, and we will inform the alumni, donors,
Jewish supporters and members of the Jewish community throughout the
state and across the country that the CSU Board of Trustees not only
condones anti-Semitic behavior at California State University, but is
directly responsible for its spread.
Sincerely,
Tammi Rossman-Benjamin
Co-founder, AMCHA Initiative
Leila Beckwith
Co-founder, AMCHA Initiative
CC: CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White
CSUN President Dianne Harrison
CSU Interim General Counsel Andrew Jones
Attorney General Kamala Harris
Deputy Attorney General Stepan Haytayun
Senior Assistant Attorney General Douglas Wood
California Speaker of the Assembly John A. Perez
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
California State Senator Alex Padilla (Northridge)
California Assembly Member Joan Buchanan, Chair of the Assembly Education Committee
California Senator Carol Liu, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Education
U.S. Congressman District 30 Brad Sherman
California Jewish community leaders
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