This petition serves to seek justice for the members of the Brooklyn College campus community in the form of tangible disciplinary action taken against Professor Mitchell Langbert. The following documents include a list of demands, and a Title IX complaint to be filed with the attachment of petition signatures.

On Thursday September 27, 2018, the accused, Associate Professor at Brooklyn College’s Murray Koppelman School of Business, Mitchell Langbert, published statements on his blog—which is linked on his official Brooklyn College faculty profile—that are deeply concerning. His statements encourage violent behavior that violates CUNY’s own sexual misconduct policy and threaten the safety of the campus community.

We unequivocally condemn Mr. Langbert’s sexism, glorification and promotion of sexual assault, and his calls for violence- as well as all legitimate threats of violence from any member of the campus community.

Brooklyn College is a public institution that educates, welcomes, and employs people of all races, religions, political affiliations, and genders. CUNY and Brooklyn College have a responsibility to provide a safe learning and working environment, and to hold their employees to a standard of conduct that ensures the rights of students and faculty to learn, work, and be free from the threat of harassment or violence.

We invite the campus community to the Brooklyn College East Quad at 1pm on Thursday, October 4th, where we will demand the following:

Full public investigation of conduct during his tenure, and termination of Professor Mitchell Langbert, in accordance with evidence from the investigation.
A public statement from the college president and business departments condemning his message.

A mandatory, in-person, anti-sexual assault and sensitivity training for all Brooklyn College faculty and administrators.

The opportunity for all students currently enrolled in his courses to drop or swap without academic or financial penalty.
A campus forum, facilitated by College President Michelle Anderson, to address the threat of sexual assault and violence on campus and to respond to and review disciplinary policies for employee misconduct.
Professor Langbert’s statements must be taken as a credible threat to the safety, security, and rights of the campus community, and be acted on swiftly.

The incident: In direct violation of Brooklyn College and the City University of New York’s commitment to non-discrimination, and their responsibility to provide a safe learning and working environment, Associate Professor of Murray Koppelman School of Business at Brooklyn College Mitchell Langbert has published statements on a public blog (cited on his faculty page) that depict sexual assault as a rite of passage for young men interested in public positions of power, not unlike his own.

He writes, “If someone did not commit sexual assault in high school, then he is not a member of the male sex. The Democrats have discovered that 15-year- olds play spin-the-bottle, and they have jumped on a series of supposed spin-the-bottle crimes during Kavanaugh's minority, which they characterize as rape, although no one complained or reported any crime for 40 years.”

Further he states, “In the future, having committed sexual assault in high school ought to be a prerequisite for all appointments, judicial and political. Those who did not play spin-the-bottle when they were 15 should not be in public life.”

In so doing he has put at risk students, and all members of the campus community. It is tantamount to incitement, and should be treated as such. It should be obvious that publicly stated support of rape and sexual violence is not a legitimate or acceptable political viewpoint. It certainly should be unacceptable from someone in Langbert’s position, with students in his charge. This creates an inhospitable environment to women on campus, and ultimately a prohibitive environment, which is in effect a form of discrimination against students based on gender. His statements clearly encourage violence, and contribute to what is unfortunately a far too pervasive culture of rape in society at large, and on college campuses in particular.

Further, it is an admission that he himself does not respect, nor believe, in the right of women to bodily autonomy, and makes light of serious crimes. Having such a teacher on campus is not only irresponsible, it is also dangerous, as evidenced by the two prior accusations he has faced. All too frequently men in positions of power who face such accusations are not held accountable and escape any consequences, while statistics show that very few women come forward to report sexual harassment and assault because of the consequences they face in their lives.

We condemn any threat of violence from members of the campus community. Professor Langbert’s statements must be taken as a credible threat to the safety, security, and rights of the campus community.

We the undersigned are seeking a full investigation of conduct and immediate suspension of Professor Langbert, and ultimately see termination as the appropriate measure for such dangerous actions.

Respectfully,