Naoko Shibusawa, Associate Professor of History & American Studies, Brown University (23 January 2023)

23 January 2023

Dear President Martha E. Pollack,
Dear Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff,
Dear Deputy Provost and Presidential Advisor for Diversity and Equity Avery August, 
Dear Dean of Faculty Eve De Rosa, 
Dear Dean Meejin J. Yoon, 

I am Naoko Shibusawa, Associate Professor of History & American Studies at Brown University. I am writing to express my support for Professor Samia Henni’s academic freedom and safety. I am a signatory of the December 26th petition urging Cornell to take action. I have been informed that Cornell has dismissed the case.

I find it perplexing and deeply disturbing that Cornell is denying what appears to be a clear criminal break-in and vandalism/burglary of Professor Henni’s campus office on your campus. How could books and folders fall off a stable shelf on their own? How did documents and items simply disappear? Would not an open window indicate that some person(s) went in and made the disturbance and took the items? 

As all universities should be doing–especially those of a stature such as Cornell–the safety and academic freedom of a female faculty of color ought to be protected. Work against anti-racism need to be stoutly protected given the current political climate of our nation and the world at large. 

I urge you to reopen this case and apologize to/compensate Professor Henni for the trauma this attack and your inaction must be causing her.

Sincerely, 

Naoko Shibusawa
Associate Professor of History & American Studies
Brown University