DENTON (WBAP/KLIF News) – 87 professors at the University of North Texas signed an open letter calling on the university to rescind its invitation to Donald Trump Junior to give a speech at its Kuehne Speaker Series event next month.
Trump is scheduled to speak at the AT&T stadium in Dallas on October 24th and is being paid $100,000 for a 30-minute speech.
In the letter, the group said the invitation “evinces a stunning disrespect for women, people of color, LGBTQ members of our community, and others, and it cannot stand.”
Professor David Mason said he doesn’t have a problem listening to Trump’s political views but the Russia investigation bothers him.
“I don’t think we should be inviting someone who is under investigation for a rather serious charge here. I mean colluding with the Russians on interfering with the U.S. election process is pretty serious. Until that’s cleared up, I don’t think it’s proper,” he said.
Mason said although he disagrees with Trump’s political leanings, it’s important for both students and staff to listen to people with different ideologies.
“A university should be inviting people from all across the political spectrum. If I particularly don’t mind to hear anything that he has to say than I can choose not to attend,” he said.
The professors also asked the school to suspend support for the 2017-2018 season; citing that there should be more people involved in choosing the speakers.
Mason said that when the series was started in 2013, faculty members were told there would be a committee to choose the speakers.
“We were assured of that and that faculty would be involved in that. It’s four years later and that hasn’t happened. At least you would have some sort of faculty or student representation on the choosing of a speakers. With that sort of input, at least we would be able to voice our concerns about inviting someone who is under a cloud of suspicion,” he said.
The end of the letter called on UNT students to help in their fight to prevent Trump from speaking.
“Most important, to current and prospective students;we say: we value and respect you, and in this case we depend on you. Please help us force UNT to live up to its core values now and in the future.”
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You can read the letter in its entirety below.
