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Cancellation of Naval Academy Lecture by Ruth Ben-Ghiat Threatens Inst. Autonomy

PEN America sharply criticizes some Republican members of Congress for scrutinizing academic decision-making at the Naval Academy, including insinuating that a lecture invitation to scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat could violate federal law. The event was subsequently cancelled.

NEW YORK — PEN America today sharply criticized some Republican members of Congress for their recent actions scrutinizing academic decision-making at the Naval Academy, including insinuating that an invitation to scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat to deliver a lecture could violate federal law, which led to the event’s cancellation. This came after the urging of Congressman Keith Self (R-TX), who wrote to the Academy’s superintendent, Admiral Yvette M. Davids, saying the invitation was “a serious lapse in judgment” and that allowing her to speak, especially within weeks of the presidential election, would violate a Department of Defense directive that prohibits the military from engaging in partisan political activity. Friedman added: “An invitation to a scholar to deliver a lecture on her subject matter expertise is about as ordinary an action as we would expect any institution of higher learning to support, any day of the week.

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