Finkelstein vs. Wax: The New York Times Double Standard on Academic Freedom
15th June 2025
eftist professor Maura Finkelstein, conservative professor Amy Wax, and the New York Times’ double standard on academic freedom: In the last two years the paper has run four major articles, two on Finkelstein’s controversy and ultimate firing, and two on Wax’s controversy and ultimate suspension.
While these articles contain some nuanced arguments, the headlines and subheads make clear which side the Times is taking — this radical anti-Israel professor deserves academic freedom, while the conservative professor may need to be fired.
The most recent entry was Sarah Viren’s June 8 cover story for the New York Times Magazine, complete with a flattering photo shoot inside: “A Professor Was Fired for Her Politics. Is That the Future of Academia? — Maura Finkelstein is one of many scholars discovering that the traditional protections of academic freedom are no longer holding.” Viren cited a Change.org petition demanding Finkelstein be fired for “dangerous pro-Hamas rhetoric” and “blatant classroom bias against Jewish students,” and the professor’s post “ISRAEL DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND ITS OCCUPATION.”