Internal Emails Reveal Extent of Evergreen Campus Chaos

Emails obtained via the Washington State Public Records Act reveal the extent of the chaos that took place at Evergreen State College this spring.

A report from the Wall Street Journal reveals faculty email exchanges that took place before and during the protest efforts this spring that captured the attention of the national media.

During one exchange, media professor Naima Lowe cautioned her colleagues against giving into calls for civility on campus. Such calls are “used to silence and/or dismiss concerns about racism,” she argued.

Media professor Naima Lowe urged one of Mr. Weinstein’s defenders to read about how calls for civility are “often used to silence and/or dismiss concerns about racism.” She also said that the “white people making changes in their white supremacist attitudes and behaviors” were those “who do not immediately balk and become defensive,” instead acknowledging that “white supremacy is literally ingrained in everything.” In other words, merely defending oneself against the accusation of “white supremacy” is evidence of guilt.

Nancy Koppelman, an American studies and humanities professor at Evergreen, described in an email that she had been followed and harassed by a group of students.

Nancy Koppelman, an American studies and humanities professor, described being “followed by white students who yelled and cursed at me, accused me of not caring about black and brown bodies, and claimed that if I did care I would follow their orders.” Ms. Koppelman, who is 5-foot-1, said the students towered over her, and “the only thing they would accept was my obedience.” She reported that the encounter so unnerved her that she was left physically shaking.

The emails provided to the Wall Street Journal painted a much different story than the one told by Evergreen State College in the settlement made with Professors Bret Weinstein and his wife, Professor Heather Heying. As a part of the $500,000 settlement, the college absolved itself of any wrongdoing. “The college took reasonable and appropriate steps to engage with protesters, de-escalate conflict, and keep the campus safe,” the administration wrote in a statement.