Scheer Intelligence "Defending the Ivory Tower: Hank Reichman on the Fight for Academic Freedom in the Age of Trump"
Nov 14, 2025
Hank Reichman, a prominent academic freedom advocate and former Cal State East Bay professor, joins veteran journalist Robert Scheer to discuss the intense pressures on higher education today. They delve into how allegations of antisemitism are used to stifle dissent and address the similarities between contemporary attacks and McCarthyism. Reichman highlights the surging activism among faculty and students, the challenges posed by wealthy donors, and the vital role of academic freedom in preserving democratic ideals. Their conversation offers a hopeful perspective on defending liberal arts and nurturing intellectual inquiry.
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Weaponizing Anti‑Semitism To Control Debate
- Anti‑Semitism has been weaponized to silence broad critiques and control university teaching and debate.
- Hank Reichman compares it to McCarthyism where a label became a tool to suppress dissent.
Columbia's Controversial Commission Picks
- Columbia appointed a committee on antisemitism that excluded campus antisemitism experts.
- Reichman notes the university instead chose members known for political Zionism.
Wealth Concentration Undermines Universities
- Wealthy trustees and donors now exert unprecedented control over university policy and curricula.
- Reichman warns this concentration of wealth undermines institutional autonomy and academic freedom.
