University Scandals

[spork]

A combination of a few thread topics from the old fora. Unfortunately much of what gets posted here will involve sex, money, or both.


MIT Media Lab's attempt to conceal money from Jeffrey Epstein. I bet Ito (Media Lab director) will be gone within a week, if he hasn't been told to resign already.

DoE fines MSU $4.5 million for letting Nassar prey on students and athletes.

[Scout]

Ito's already gone

https://www.businessinsider.com/mit-media-lab-director-joi-ito-resigns-new-yorker-epstein-2019-9

[mamselle]

Can we combine this thread with pedanticromantic's on the same topic?

(I didn't check whose was first).

M.

[ex_mo]

I posted this in another thread, but this long article in Politico about Liberty is a lot to absorb.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/09/jerry-falwell-liberty-university-loans-227914

[spork]

I posted this in another thread, but this long article in Politico about Liberty is a lot to absorb.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/09/jerry-falwell-liberty-university-loans-227914

First time I ever heard of a university employee feeling the need to purchase a burner phone to avoid surveillance.

[Aster]

And now Falwell is demanding criminal investigations over Liberty employees who shared emails with journalists. This seems more than a little megalomanic.

Falwell said in an exclusive interview that in the coming days the FBI will review university documents at the Lynchburg, Va., campus. He accused former colleagues of stealing school property in the form of emails and then sharing them with reporters in an effort to damage his reputation.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our attorneys have determined that this small group of former board members and employees, they're involved in a criminal conspiracy, are working together to steal Liberty property in the form of emails and provided them to reporters," Falwell Jr. said in a phone interview.

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/460699-jerry-fallwell-jr-calls-fbi-to-investigate-criminal-conspiracy-at-liberty

[mouseman]

And now Falwell is demanding criminal investigations over Liberty employees who shared emails with journalists. This seems more than a little megalomanic.

Falwell said in an exclusive interview that in the coming days the FBI will review university documents at the Lynchburg, Va., campus. He accused former colleagues of stealing school property in the form of emails and then sharing them with reporters in an effort to damage his reputation.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our attorneys have determined that this small group of former board members and employees, they're involved in a criminal conspiracy, are working together to steal Liberty property in the form of emails and provided them to reporters," Falwell Jr. said in a phone interview.

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/460699-jerry-fallwell-jr-calls-fbi-to-investigate-criminal-conspiracy-at-liberty

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, private attorneys cannot "determine" that individuals are involved in criminal activity. However, I guess that he really wanted to say is that he has declared it to be criminal activity and therefore it is.

[spork]

More about Epstein/MIT: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/13/mit-president-thanked-jeffrey-epstein-donation.

[Hibush]

More about Epstein/MIT: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/13/mit-president-thanked-jeffrey-epstein-donation.

In a somewhat less sleazy scandal at the Medial Lab, CHE has an article* on how they have oversold their science to donors and industry investors. In this case, the technology seems to be a non-working toy version of tech that has been in use for four or five decades. There is some juicy commentary on this research-funding model by a scientist from the industry that this "innovation" was supposed to "disrupt".  She says their development model makes sense when when you see that "The Media Lab's leadership catered to a superiority fetish in exchange for cash."

*Hype vs reality at the MIT Media Lab by Nell Gluckman CHE Sept 11, 2019

[polly_mer]

Harvard has now announced $9M from Epstein: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/13/harvard-says-it-received-millions-epstein

[Thursday's_Child]

And now Falwell is demanding criminal investigations over Liberty employees who shared emails with journalists. This seems more than a little megalomanic.

Falwell said in an exclusive interview that in the coming days the FBI will review university documents at the Lynchburg, Va., campus. He accused former colleagues of stealing school property in the form of emails and then sharing them with reporters in an effort to damage his reputation.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our attorneys have determined that this small group of former board members and employees, they're involved in a criminal conspiracy, are working together to steal Liberty property in the form of emails and provided them to reporters," Falwell Jr. said in a phone interview.

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/460699-jerry-fallwell-jr-calls-fbi-to-investigate-criminal-conspiracy-at-liberty

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, private attorneys cannot "determine" that individuals are involved in criminal activity. However, I guess that he really wanted to say is that he has declared it to be criminal activity and therefore it is.

This is just another scare-tactic, and a despicable one, designed to maintain control by inducing still more fear.  Actually reminds me of the old "Just you wait until your father gets home!".

[ex_mo]

And now Falwell is demanding criminal investigations over Liberty employees who shared emails with journalists. This seems more than a little megalomanic.

Falwell said in an exclusive interview that in the coming days the FBI will review university documents at the Lynchburg, Va., campus. He accused former colleagues of stealing school property in the form of emails and then sharing them with reporters in an effort to damage his reputation.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Our attorneys have determined that this small group of former board members and employees, they're involved in a criminal conspiracy, are working together to steal Liberty property in the form of emails and provided them to reporters," Falwell Jr. said in a phone interview.

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/460699-jerry-fallwell-jr-calls-fbi-to-investigate-criminal-conspiracy-at-liberty

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, private attorneys cannot "determine" that individuals are involved in criminal activity. However, I guess that he really wanted to say is that he has declared it to be criminal activity and therefore it is.

This is just another scare-tactic, and a despicable one, designed to maintain control by inducing still more fear.  Actually reminds me of the old "Just you wait until your father gets home!".

Since when are emails "property" of an institution? I suppose I am coming from a public context where my emails are (technically) a matter of public record and could be requested through public records laws but...wow.

[apl68]

More about Epstein/MIT: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/13/mit-president-thanked-jeffrey-epstein-donation.

In a somewhat less sleazy scandal at the Medial Lab, CHE has an article* on how they have oversold their science to donors and industry investors. In this case, the technology seems to be a non-working toy version of tech that has been in use for four or five decades. There is some juicy commentary on this research-funding model by a scientist from the industry that this "innovation" was supposed to "disrupt".  She says their development model makes sense when when you see that "The Media Lab's leadership catered to a superiority fetish in exchange for cash."

*Hype vs reality at the MIT Media Lab by Nell Gluckman CHE Sept 11, 2019

A TED Talk emperor is found to be a nudist.  Who would have thought it?

[apophenia]

More about Epstein/MIT: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/13/mit-president-thanked-jeffrey-epstein-donation.

In a somewhat less sleazy scandal at the Medial Lab, CHE has an article* on how they have oversold their science to donors and industry investors. In this case, the technology seems to be a non-working toy version of tech that has been in use for four or five decades. There is some juicy commentary on this research-funding model by a scientist from the industry that this "innovation" was supposed to "disrupt".  She says their development model makes sense when when you see that "The Media Lab's leadership catered to a superiority fetish in exchange for cash."

*Hype vs reality at the MIT Media Lab by Nell Gluckman CHE Sept 11, 2019

A TED Talk emperor is found to be a nudist.  Who would have thought it?

Astounding, his combination of hubris and weaselliness:

"I have a pretty good handle on where this field is going," Harper said. "So I talk about that. And because I'm so clear on that vision, I think people misinterpret that as reality."