A statement from Syracuse University Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor on recent Fox News story:
"Recently, there has been media attention surrounding comments made by Boyce Watkins.
"Although Dr. Watkins is a faculty member, the University has determined that his comments were made as a private citizen on a personal blog, not in his capacity as a teacher or researcher, and did not utilize university resources. If this had not been the case, the University would have undertaken an evaluation using our policies and procedures to ensure that no rights or laws were violated and taken action if warranted.
"But in this case, and in all other cases where faculty members are expressing their views as private citizens, the university and I will defend their right to do so, irrespective of whether we agree with them or not, or where those viewpoints fall on the political spectrum.
"For many years, individual faculty members along the political spectrum, from right to left, have asserted their right to speak as private citizens without fear of reprisal from colleges and universities. I fully support this principle."
