Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Daniel Burnett
“How far can a university stretch the definition of harassment? Far enough to investigate a professor over the phrase ‘word salad,’ apparently. Just ask Richard Himelfarb, a political science professor at Hofstra University. During a Nov. 3, 2025, faculty meeting, Himelfarb thought his colleague, Jewish Studies Chair Santiago Slabodsky, has proposed a Jewish Studies course that contained too little Jewish content. So, during the meeting, Himelfarb described the proposal as rambling ‘word salad.’ In response, Slabodsky filed a harassment complaint, alleging the phrase ‘word salad’ is discriminatory against his accent and Latino identity. But instead of opening a dialogue, the university opened a harassment investigation.” (08/05/26)