The University of Minnesota paid historian Raz Segal $250,000 to settle a lawsuit after withdrawing his job offer to lead its Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center. The withdrawal followed a backlash from donors and activists over Segal's description of Israel's actions in Gaza as "genocide," raising significant concerns about academic freedom and free speech.
The University of Minnesota (UMN) rescinded its June 2024 offer to historian Raz Segal to direct its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, despite overwhelming academic committee support. The abrupt withdrawal, just five days after the offer, stemmed from intense "community perspective" — a backlash fueled by Segal's October 2023 op-ed in Jewish Currents, where he controversially labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza a “textbook case of genocide.” Critics accused Segal of justifying Hamas crimes, an assertion he rejected. Segal, represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights, argued UMN's actions violated his First Amendment rights and academic freedom. He recently secured a $250,000 settlement from UMN, which, while not an admission of wrongdoing, Segal hopes will empower other scholars facing repercussions for criticizing Israel. The settlement followed Segal's acquisition of emails revealing a concerted pressure campaign from donors, legislators, and pro-Israel activists, who threatened to withdraw funding if Segal's appointment proceeded. These documents showed UMN initially defending Segal but ultimately succumbing to the pressure, with interim president Jeff Ettinger citing the need to consider "community voices" when withdrawing the offer. Segal, who is Jewish and a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, believes UMN leadership deemed him the "wrong kind of Israeli and the wrong kind of Jew." His early stance on Gaza as genocide has since gained traction among numerous scholars, human rights groups, and UN officials. The controversy also saw two UMN professors resign in protest, accusing Segal of justifying Hamas, while conversely, dozens of Jewish professors and Holocaust scholars defended Segal, condemning UMN's actions as a "dangerous precedent." UMN faculty subsequently passed a no-confidence vote against Ettinger. Segal is now a tenured professor at Stockton University and continues to write on the subject, noting the UMN director position remains unfilled.
