Nicholas De Genova

De Genova's comments drew sharp criticism from a number of sources:

• Historian Alan Brinkley, who was also at the teach-in, sharply criticized De Genova, stating that: "I was appalled by what he said, and ashamed to be on the same platform with him. I certainly defend his right to say whatever he wishes, but the rest of us have an equal right to disassociate ourselves from his abhorrent remarks."[9]
• Professor Eric Foner, who helped organize the teach-in, stated that "Professor De Genova's speech did not represent the views of the organizers. I personally found it quite reprehensible." and that "The antiwar movement does not desire the death of American soldiers. We do not accept his view of what it means to be a patriot. I began my talk, which came later, by repudiating his definition of patriotism, saying the teach-in was a patriotic act, that I believe patriots are those who seek to improve their country."
• Lee C. Bollinger, the president of Columbia University, declared to the press that he was “shocked” and that “this one crosses the line.”  In a subsequent iteration, Bollinger declared that he was “appalled” and summarily denounced Professor De Genova's comments as “outrageous.”[4] While stating that "Under well-established principles of the First Amendment, this is within a person's right to free speech" also stated that "Not for a second, however, does that insulate it from criticism. I am shocked that someone would make such statements. I am especially saddened for the families of those whose lives are now at risk."[10][11]
• Arizona Congressman J. D. Hayworth submitted a letter, signed by 103 Republican Congressmen, to Columbia President Lee Bollinger urging him to fire De Genova. Hayworth argued that "the issue is not whether De Genova has the right to make idiotic and hateful comments - he surely does - but whether he has the right to a job teaching at Columbia University after making such comments."[12][13][14]

In addition, De Genova was subjected to numerous aggravated and repeated death threats and underwent major disruptions in his ordinary personal and professional life as a result of security considerations.  In that context of public adversity, the untenured professor granted an interview to The Chronicle of Higher Education, which dubbed De Genova as "The most hated professor in America."[6]

De Genova was denied promotion in 2007 and his employment at Columbia was terminated in 2009.

This was not the only time De Genova had made controversial remarks. At a Columbia rally in solidarity with Palestine in 2002, he declared, “The heritage of the Holocaust belongs to the Palestinian people. The State of Israel has no claim to the heritage of the Holocaust. The heritage of the oppressed belongs to the oppressed, not the oppressor.”[9][13][15] Later, with respect to Bollinger's hostility to a campaign by Columbia University faculty for divestment from the Israeli military, De Genova stated that Bollinger "has set himself up as an apologist of war crimes and apartheid,” and called upon Bollinger to resign.[16]

In a letter to the Columbia Spectator, published a few days after the teach-in, De Genova wrote that "imperialism and white supremacy have been constitutive of U.S. nation-state formation and U.S. nationalism" and called for "repudiating all forms of U.S. patriotism" and urged "the defeat of the U.S. war machine." He also stated that "my rejection of U.S. nationalism is an appeal to liberate our own political imaginations such that we might usher in a radically different world in which we will not remain the prisoners of U.S. global domination."[17]

De Genova has published a book chapter discussing the "million Mogadishus" controversy and its significance for academic freedom and free speech.[18] As recently as 2009 he stated he was writing a memoir on free speech during wartime in which he would examine the context in which he made his statements regarding the war as well as the pressure he came under in their aftermath.[19]