Ludlow to stop teaching for rest of Winter Quarter
March 5, 2014
Philosophy Prof. Peter Ludlow will not teach classes at Northwestern for the remainder of Winter Quarter, University spokesman Al Cubbage said Wednesday.
The announcement comes a day after students planned a sit-in and walk-out of Ludlow’s afternoon class in Harris Hall. Although Ludlow canceled the class, the students met to discuss next steps and protested in front of the office of Sarah Mangelsdorf, dean of Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
(Planned sit-in turns into protest of Northwestern’s sexual assault policies)
Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president for student affairs, and Todd Adams, dean of students, met Wednesday with three students who spoke out in protest of the University’s response to an alleged sexual assault committed by Ludlow against a Medill junior, who sued both NU and Ludlow last month.
(Northwestern responds to student’s lawsuit, denies Title IX violations)
Weinberg juniors Laura Whittenburg and Jazz Stephens were invited to the meeting along with philosophy graduate student Chelsea Egbert.
The administrators did not give specific reasoning behind the decision, but warned the students they could be subject to disciplinary proceedings if they continued to disrupt classes, Stephens said.
Telles-Irvin and Adams had a conversation with the students about Ludlow teaching Spring Quarter classes, but told them a decision has not been made, Whittenburg and Stephens said.
“They understood why people would be uncomfortable taking classes with Professor Ludlow,” Stephens said. “But they were also saying that’s not the view of all students. Some students want to take this particular class.”
Telles-Irvin did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Kristin Case, Ludlow’s attorney, declined to comment.
As of Wednesday afternoon, CAESAR listed 12 students enrolled in Ludlow’s 200-level philosophy class for Spring Quarter.
Undergraduates in Ludlow’s Winter Quarter “Philosophy of Psychology” class had not been notified of the change as of Wednesday afternoon, multiple students confirmed to The Daily. Whittenburg and Stephens said they were told a substitute will give Ludlow’s lectures.
Stephens said a planned sit-in of Ludlow’s Thursday class has been canceled, but the group made clear they will continue to advocate for change.
“We said, basically, if Professor Ludlow continues to teach next quarter, we will continue to protest,” Stephens said.
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