Is David Klein of CSUN using tax-payer resources to promote extremist agenda?

As documented by the Amcha Initiative,  Prof. David Klein Cal State Northridge has been using the CSUN name and resources to promote his personal political agenda. Klein has been using his University email and website to endorse political candidates, solicit donations for them and to promote boycotts against Israel.  Using state resources gives the appearance of imprimateur from the University.   Klein may be in violation not only of CSU guidelines but the California Educational Code, as well.
 

From the website of the General Counsel of the California State University System:

          Misuse of the CSU name

It is inappropriate to use the CSU name without the written permission of the institution for any purpose, including:

• Designating a business, social, political, religious or other organization;
• Claiming an affiliation or endorsement of the California State University, where none exists;
• Advertising any meeting or activity that has the purpose of supporting or opposing any strike, lockout, boycott, or political, religious, sociological or economic activity; and

Any other commercial purpose.

Consequences for Misuse of the CSU Name

The California State University strives to resolve any misuse of its name by first bringing the situation to the attention of the individual/business and requesting immediate correction. If that fails, or in the first instance in egregious situations, the CSU will take legal action to protect its name, which can result in civil and/or criminal penalties including:

• Money damages or fines
• Injunctive relief
• Criminal charges
• Seizure of infringing merchandise
• Attorneys' fees

As California taxpayers, how do you feel about David Klein using state resources to push an extremist personal political agenda? Speech might be free, but bandwidth is not. The CSU Board of Trustees can be reached here.

Students- to report antisemitic activity on a college or university campus click here

 

Cal State Northridge Prof. David Klein: Still at it

The story:

Cal State Northridge Mathematics Professor David Klein, a founding member of the Academic Boycott of Israel campaign has used his CSUN website as a springboard to spread anti-Israel propaganda of the most vicious kind. Does the principle of academic freedom protect faculty and administrators who use their university positions and state resources to promote a political agenda? Or does using a tax-payer supported website and email address grant university imprimatur and legitimacy to anti-semitism and racist incitement?

The Amcha Initiative has taken the lead on this issue, and is in regular correspondence with the Cal State regents.

The following is the timeline of the AMCHA Initiative’s Correspondence with CSUN President Jolene Koester

November 22nd, 2011
AMCHA co-founders sent a letter to President Joelene Koester, apprising her of Professor Klein’s anti-Semitic webpages and urging her to have them removed from the CSUN server:

AMCHA co-founders’ initial letter to President Koester, sent November 22nd, 2011

December 5th, 2011
President Koester sent AMCHA co-founders a response to our initial concerned email. While graciously acknowledging our concerns, she failed to address them, instead excusing the hateful content Professor Klein’s inappropriately promotes on a CSUN website.

President Koester’s response to AMCHA’s initial letter, sent December 5th, 2011

December 7th, 2011
Two days later, AMCHA co-founders sent President Koester a response. It thanked President Koester for her attention but criticized her for not not removing Professor Klein’s anti-Semitic webpages.

AMCHA co-founders’ response to President Koester, sent December 7th, 2011

December 8th, 2011
President Koester responds to AMCHA co-founder, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, in a dismissive email that simply says: “Too bad.”

President Koester’s dismissive email, sent December 8th, 2011

December 9th, 2011
After President Koester received numerous emails from AMCHA Initiative supporters regarding her message to Tammi containing the words “too bad,” President Koester sent out the “message of apology” linked to below.

President Koester’s “message of apology”, sent December 9th, 2011

December 12th, 2011
AMCHA co-founder Tammi Rossman-Benjamin responds to President Koester’s apology. In her response, Tammi reiterates CSUN’s obligation to remove defamatory and offensive content from its websites.

Tammi Rossman-Benjamin’s response to President Koester’s apology, sent December 12th, 2011


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David Klein, exhibiting characteristic arrogance, is clearly still at it. The following is a copy of an email sent by David Klein from his CSUN email earlier this month, and forwarded to us. Klein is shamelessly using tax-payer resources to push his political agenda

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: David Klein
To: ************
Sent: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 11:10 AM
Subject: Congressional candidate supports BDS

All,

If you have friends in the 30th congressional district (in the San Fernando Valley), please urge them to vote for Mike Powelson. He is running as the Green Party candidate against Brad Sherman and Howard Berman, two extreme zionists. Powelson supports BDS of Israel. Here is his website:

http://michaelpowelsonforcongress.org/

David Klein

************

Do you object to tax-payer resources being used to push a biased and hateful political agenda? Do you object to tax-payer resources being used used to push ANY political agenda? Send CSU President Reed a quick email creed@calstate.edu

Speech might be free, but we still pay for bandwidth. David Klein should transfer his hate-filled agenda to a non-university server.