MCLC: NYU booting Chen Guangcheng (1)

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: Rebecca Karl <rek2 at nyu.edu>
Subject: NYU booting Chen Guangcheng (1)
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A propos NYU & Chen Guangchen: I have issued the following to the press
swarm that has been circling around this issue for three days now:

"I am skeptical about the stories circulating that NYU is 'booting' Chen
Guangcheng. I have been a critic of NYU's Administration on a number of
issues, including the Shanghai-NYU venture. I have studied China for over
thirty years, and I have worked at NYU for over 17 years.  I have found
both places to be untrustworthy at times to different degrees and in
different ways. However, on this issue, I do not see any connection at all
and wish to go on record with this view. I think Chen is being used as a
political football, and does not deserve this treatment."

What we can verify and is absolutely true, is that Chen was given a 30
June deadline to move out of NYU housing (where he has been since his
arrival in the States last year). This deadline was today extended to 15
July.  What is far murkier, and in fact I think really at best highly
speculative, is that this has anything to do with NYU's Shanghai venture.
As stated above, I and several of my colleagues who are at NYU, are
critical of NYU on any number of issues, and also are familiar with China
issues are quite skeptical about this linkage now being played up by FOX
news, GOP Congressmen, and others. The shocking thing about the story is
not the (unproven and entirely speculative) connection to the PRC or the
CPC, it is the fact that Chen is being kicked out for no reason whatsoever
and on a deadline that essentially puts him in the street before he has
anything set up to go to.  It is that that is so shocking and disgraceful.

Rebecca