EFTA02549409.pdf

From: Lawrence Krauss < Sent: Monday, December 11, 2017 5:19 PM To: Peter Aldhous Cc: Subject: Re: URGENT: BuzzFeed News inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment Importance: High I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your email. I am =urrently on a plane until noon pacific time, and then heading to a =eeting right after landing, till about 2 pm or so. While I am =unning the risk that you will report my comments, if you do, either out =f context, or incompletely, I am responding with an effort to be =omplete, as I always try and do with reporters. If you decide to =o ahead with a story, which, after reading my responses, I hope you =ecide is inappropriate, I would like you to quote my responses fully in =rder not to distort them. It is hard to know how to respond to a =ist of false and/or distorted allegations, along with misleading =tatements. I treat people I interact with with respect, and I work hard =o support and mentor students, colleagues, and members of the general =ublic, and this is supported by the institutions of which I am a part. =nbsp;I do not sexually harass people. If the purpose of your =eporting is to somehow argue that Universities and other institutions =re lax in dealing with well known individuals like myself, then in fact =he situation is quite the opposite. My high public profile opens =e up to more scrutiny at these institutions, not less, and it also =pens me up to a host of unfounded outside complaints and allegations =hat other faculty do not receive, each of which the University has to =espond to. The fact that I have remained a professor in all =niversities with which I have been associated, in good standing, and =Iso an officer or an invited speaker at organizations like CFI, which =ave strict harassment policies, is a confirmation of the fact that =heir experience validates a trust in my behavior. I was asked to =e an honorary director of CFI, and continue to be invited to their last = meetings to speak, specifically because, as they have written me after =he fact, the attendees universally appreciated my talks, my courtesy, =nd graciousness in spending time with the attendees. If the =urpose of your report is to impugn my integrity or suggest I have a =istory of harassment, that too is false. As noted in one of your =miscellaneous facts', as a scientist I try and remain =keptical, and rely on empirical evidence, rather than allegations and =nnuendo by people whose motives I cannot judge. I also try and =udge the facts in context. The fact that Universities and other =rganizations employ me or have me on their boards, or invite me to =eetings is because they value my contributions and my =ctions. The items you list are false or distorted. Item 1 refers to a =onsensual encounter in my hotel room in 2006 where we mutually decided, =n a polite discussion in fact, that taking it any further would not be =ppropriate, and there were respectful and platonic encounters =fterwards. There is nothing to comment on in item 3, which involves an =nonymous 3rd party claim because I know nothing about it, there =re no details provided, and it clearly was not taken seriously enough =o result in any university action. Item 4 is confusing. Are =ou saying that because I decided I didn't want to go out to a =ar with a group of attendees that I was harassing them? The =econd part did not happen. Re incident 5: The 'female =ompanion' in this case is my wife, who accompanied me on the =ruise, and has attested to the fact that the claim is false. This =s what I wrote at the time in response to the blog in question, causing =t to be taken down. It is worth responding to Item 2 =nd 6 in more detail, Re item 2: the student in question was interested in =cience communication, and on dozens of occasions came to me, asked me =o talk over coffee, or wrote to me with questions. When she asked =bout advice for after graduation I DID tell her she was different than =he other students in her year. The rest of them were interested =n going on to graduate school in physics, but she was interested in =cience communication so I told her that she might want to take a =ifferent path. Since she was the only woman in her year, as I =ecall, I did ask her on one of these occasions if that made it EFTA_R1_01704629 EFTA02549409 =ifficult for her in any way. I asked, because as a faculty member =nd department chair I was interested in knowing what we could do, if =ecessary to encourage more women to go into physics, and also because =s someone she had asked for career advice from I wanted to know if that =ade a difference to her. Re asking her for dinner.. I have gone =ack over emails from that period. I have numerous requests from her =sking me to go for coffee to talk, which I usually had to turn down =ecause I was busy, and on several occasions she asked me to have coffee =ith her off campus to talk, and I politely declined. I did let =er accompany me off campus one time to watch me do a BBC interview =ecause she specifically requested it, and I believe she found it =seful. I did and do have coffee and meals with students on =ampus, and I see nothing wrong with this. I try to treat students =s respected colleagues if possible. I was shocked when I later =earned of the complaint she was apparently asked to lodge to the =niversity, not least because there was no inappropriate interaction but =lso because, well after the dates you listed on which she was =pparently offended, she continued to email me with joking questions or =omments. Also, at a later AAAS conference, again in 2008, =or which she had asked, and for which I had written her a letter of =ecommendation to attend, my wife and I gave her a lift in our taxi well =ut out of our way in order to drop her off at her hotel, and I note in =n email response to her email about the conference, again in 2008, I =xpressed that I would pass her regards along to my wife and vice versa. =nbsp;When the University later informed me of the complaint I was =hocked and concerned. When I spoke to the human resources =erson, including relating my concerns and explaining the situation, I =as told that no formal complaint of sexual harassment was requested. =nbsp;By that time I learned of the complaint I had already announced my =ntentions to leave Case to accept an offer at ASU—a very =ifficult decision for me because of my long-standing attachment to the =niversity, the excellent relations I had with my colleagues there—=both among the faculty (many of whom in physics I had hired while =epartment chair)) and among the administration, along with a very =ttractive counter-offer by Case. Because I was already in Arizona =t the later time I was asked not to have any further interaction with =he student I agreed to that request, both to respect her sensitivities =nd also because it was basically moot because I was not on campus. =ollowing this episode, as indicated in the letter to the student, I did =ssess what might have led to misinterpretations by this student, and =ecame more careful in offering advice when talking to students. I =as also told by human resources that because it was decided to handle =his informally and not formally, that (a) it should remain =onfidential, which I, at least abided by, and (b) if no further =omplaints were lodged in that case, that the University would preserve =ts confidentiality and remove the complaint from my record after 5 =ears, which makes me surprised and concerned that someone violated that =ritten agreement with you. Re item 6: You report on ASU'= response to item #6 , without including the fact that the University =pecifically stated there were never any allegations of sexual =isconduct or harassment by me at the University, and moreover that the =outside complaints' were in fact related specifically to your item #6. =nbsp; Further you neglect to mention that this complaint was by an =nonymous third party, not the individual who was allegedly harassed, =ho never lodged a complaint, and that no specific evidence was provided =f the alleged transgression. I was surprised and dismayed that =oth ASU and ANU launched investigations on the basis of this but was =old by both Universities that because of my high profile even such =nsubstantiated third party complaints at private events unrelated to =he University would be investigated. The complaint was =nvestigated by both ASU and ANU and both came to the conclusion =hat it was not credible and no university policies had been violated. =nbsp;ln addition ANU's investigation, which took a full month, =ound various inconsistencies in the allegation, which suggest =istortion and fabrication, I will quote from the ANU report. The =nitial complaint, which in fact resulted in a temporary suspension of =y position at ANU until it was dismissed, outlined the claim you made =n the words you quoted in your note to me, but it also =tated "It=is the University's understanding that a complaint was =odged directly to the conference organisers at the time of the =ncident." After the month-long investigation, during which I was told I =as not to interact with anyone on campus (again moot because I was a =emisphere removed) the final report, from which I quote below absolved =e of any wrongdoing, reinstating my position, and indicated information =nconsistent with the original claim and apparent later =laims: "The =llegations were made by an observer to the incident. - The =omplaint did not identify, nor disclose the identity of the conference =ttendee who was allegedly touched in an =nwelcome manner. 2 EFTA_R1_01704630 EFTA02549410 - The conference attendee =ho took the 'selfie' photo did not lodge a formal =omplaint to the conference organisers at the =ime of the incident (November 2016). - The =onference attendee who witnessed the incident, did not lodge a formal =omplaint to the conference organisers at the =ime of the incident (November 2016). -The photo submitted as part of the complaint does not provide =vidence of any physical contact. - The complainant =lleged that a photo exists, showing your hand on the breast of the =onference attendee who took the 'selfie' =hoto. This photo was not made available to the Australian National =niversity, although it was requested in the =ourse of the investigation." (And for the record I often put my hand up =n front of a camera if there is a flash, as I specifically request =elfies not to include flashes, so that I don't end up with a =eries bright spots in front of my eyes for the next half hour. =nbsp;Moreover, I have no idea if the other eyewitnesses you quote, who =ere not involved in any complaint, were in fact there but this was a =ormal banquet with individuals and their partners, which I attended =ong enough to agree to sign things and do selfies before leaving early =ecause I was tired. Even if I had any such intent it would have been =unacy to pose for selfies in front of a group and openly do such a =hing, including presumably in front of this person's partner, . =hich, besides the fact that I don't do such things, is one of =he many reasons it never happened.) What makes this particular type of =llegation so repugnant is that I get asked for literally thousands of =elfies, and when people come up to me they are vulnerable, often =haking, or sometimes aggressive. I am particularly proud of the =ay I work to make all people feel at ease, and respected, rather than =umiliated, whatever their behavior or request. Thus, this false claim =trikes at the heart of what I am about, which characterizes all my =nteractions with fans: to acknowledge them in a way that makes them =eel appreciated and respected. As I understand you had a =eporter watching me sign books and take selfies at the CFI conference =n Las Vegas this year, that behavior is what they will have witnessed =nd should report on. Moreover, I am proud of the interactions I have =ad at both Case and ASU, with students, colleagues and staff of all =enders and ethnicities. I have worked hard to support them, =entor them, and treat them with respect. I treat others as =esponsible adults, and I expect to be treated =qually. On Dec 10, 2017, at 6:12 PM, =eter Aldhous <peter.aldhous@buzzfeed.com <mailto:peter.aldhous@buzzfeed.com» wrote: Or. Krauss: As you know, I'm a reporter for BuzzFeed News who has =een investigating sexual misconduct allegations against you. As we'=e already discussed by email, I'd very much like to interview =ou about these allegations in detail. In particular, you stated in an email sent on Nov 13 that two =niversities had investigated an incident (# 6 below). You claimed that =/span>"both Universities independently concluded that the =eport was unsubstantiated and fabricated with malicious intent." =e are not aware that either university concluded fabrication or =alicious intent, so if you have evidence to support this assertion, we =ould like to see and discuss it. The story concerns your actions towards students while a =rofessor of physics at Case Western Reserve University, as well as your =onduct in non-academic settings as a prominent figure in the skeptics =ovement. I am reporting this story along with two of my colleagues on =he science desk, Azeen Ghorayshi and Virginia Hughes. Our story is about several allegations of sexual misconduct =ating from 2006 to 2016 (see full details below). Our reporting also =oes into how the various institutions you have been affiliated with =94 Case Western, Arizona State University, the Australian National =niversity, the New College of the Humanities, and the Center for =nquiry, for which 3 EFTA_R1_01704631 EFTA02549411 you serve as an honorary member of the board of =irectors — have handled complaints and concerns about your =ehavior during this time. Our story is corroborated by emails, university documents, =fficial complaints, testimony from victims and eyewitnesses, and =nterviews with more than two dozen of your current and former academic =olleagues, students, and peers in the skeptics movement. I wanted to offer you the opportunity to comment and/or =espond to the main facts we plan to publish. If you wish to comment on =ny of the below findings, we need to hear from you as soon as =ossible. We are planning on publishing our story Tuesday morning, =astern US Time. Based on our reporting, this is what we plan to =ublish: Incident 1: In November of 2006, at an event launching the new Center for =nquiry in Washington D.C., you met a volunteer for CFI D.C. =/span> At the event, you asked for her business card. Later, you =ollowed her as she was leaving and asked her if she was "of =ge." Later, you emailed her to invite her to dinner. You planned to dine with her in the restaurant at the Washington =.C. hotel where you were staying. You told her to come up to =our room first because you needed to finish some work. In your hotel room, you =eemed in no rush to leave. You ordered a cheese plate, and later =hampagne, despite her suggestion that you go down to dinner. =/span> You then made a comment about her eye makeup, getting very close to =er face. You then lifted her by her arms, and pushed her onto the bed =eneath you, forcibly kissing her and trying to pull down the crotch of =er tights. She struggled to push you off her. You said, "When I was in college I could never get a =irl that looked like you." When you pulled out a condom, she got out from under you. She =aid "I have to go," and rushed out of the room. =/span> Incident 2: In an incident that occurred in fall of 2007 while you were a =hysics professor at Case Western Reserve University, a student tried to talk to =ou about her plans after graduation. You mentioned to her how tough it =ust be to have all the other physics majors asking her out on dates. =/span> 4 EFTA_R1_01704632 EFTA02549412  In a second incident in =ecember of 2007, while you were still at Case Western, the same student =isited your office to interview you for a student science journal. You =losed the door behind her, and ignored the questions she had prepared. =hen you made a casual comment about taking her out for =inner. Later, in a regular column for the school paper, she =escribed her experiences with you, without mentioning you by name. =E2 There was even one particular creep of a professor who once =old me he thought differently of me compared to other students and =sked me to dinner: a situation so disturbing that it left me upset for =eeks afterward," she wrote. She was then approached by a dean at the university, who =uspected that she was referring to you, based on a previously reported =ncident with another student. He encouraged her to make a complaint, =nd she did. University investigators interviewed both you and the =tudent. On September 4, 2008, Susan Nickel-Schindewolf, the =niversity's associate vice president for student affairs, wrote =o the student, telling her that the investigation was complete. She =rote that you had been told: "This type of behavior could =onstitute sexual harassment in violation of the university's =exual harassment policy." The letter also stated that you were prohibited from making =ontact with the student as long as she remained at Case. The letter also stated that you are required to get approval =rom the dean or the chair of the physics department before setting foot =n the campus again. The letter also stated, "Dr. Krauss expressed regret =bout having a negative impact on you, and also his willingness to use =his complaint as an opportunity to reflect and improve on his future =nteractions with students." By then, you had already left Case, taking up your current =osition at Arizona State University the month before. • "The opportunities being offered at ASU are simply =oo great to turn down at this stage in my career," you told =ase colleagues, in an email announcing your departure on April 16, =008. Incident 3: A former Case Western physics department administrator =onfirmed that she had reported a previous incident involving a student =ho had confided in her about your inappropriate behavior towards =er. Incident 4: You met a student from another university, an atheist =ctivist, in March 2008 at the American Atheists Convention in =inneapolis. She wanted to expand the atheist group she ran at the =idwestern university she was attending, and hoped to convince you to =ome and speak. You initially seemed enthusiastic. During the convention, attendees including you and Richard =awkins went for dinner with the student and volunteers for Dawkins'=foundation. Afterwards, the student invited you to join the volunteers =or a drink. 5 EFTA_R1_01704633 EFTA02549413  You asked her to come get you in your hotel room. She was =ary of your intentions, and so brought a male friend with her. Opening =he door to find them both there, you informed her you had decided not =o go. You met this student again at the American Atheists =onvention in Des Moines, Iowa, in April 2011. You pulled over a chair for her in the bar, and then started =unning your hand up her leg under the table. She tried to shift her body away from you, and you persisted =n putting your hand on her leg. She crossed her legs, and you kept =rying. Then she turned her entire body away. Incident 5: This incident allegedly occurred on in May 2011 on a =/span>CFI cruise <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnrP8B-IKxE> . We understand that CFI staff were informed that you had =ropositioned a female cruise-goer, who rejected an invitation to join =ou and your female companion for sex in your cabin. • At least two CFI staffers were sufficiently concerned about =eports of your behavior that they urged CFI's president not to =nvite you on a 2014 cruise of the Galapagos Islands. You were invited on that cruise, =owever. Incident 6: During a visit to Melbourne, Australia, in November 2016, you were =ccused of sexual misconduct once again. The incident happened at a dinner held at the Melbourne Zoo =s part of the Australian Skeptics National =onvention, where you were a featured speaker. With conference delegates =hatting over drinks, a woman asked you for a celebrity =elfie. As the woman held out her =hone to take the picture, you reached over her shoulder and grabbed her =ight breast. • She immediately reacted, =odychecking you and spinning around. "Don't do that, =9D she said. BuzzFeed News has seen the =omplaint made by another woman to ASU, ANU, and the New College of the =umanities in London, including the selfie, her face obscured to conceal =er identity. It shows your hand in motion as a blur in front of her =houlder, apparently moving toward her chest. Two other eyewitnesses =ave confirmed the complainant's account of what =appened. In April 2017, the =omplainant described the incident on her blog. After hearing more about =our reputation for inappropriate behavior from blog readers, she =ecided to file a complaint about the Nov. 2016 incident. On July 16, she filed =ormal complaints with Arizona State University, and with the Australian =ational University in Canberra and the New College of the Humanities in =ondon, where you have visiting appointments. 6 EFTA_R1_01704634 EFTA02549414  Both Arizona State and the =ustralian National University told her they would look into the matter. =ut neither university found against you. "Based on the =aterial available to the University, we do not have sufficient evidence =o substantiate the allegations," Kiaran Kirk, dean of the =allege of Science at the Australian National University, wrote to her. =/span> Erin Ellison, who heads =rizona State's Office of Equity & Inclusion, wrote to her =xplaining that an inquiry "did not find a violation of =niversity policy." In October, Arizona State =enied a request from BuzzFeed News for documents relating to complaints =f sexual harassment against you. However, Cynthia Jewett, the =niversity's senior associate general counsel, noted that =/span>two individuals, neither affiliated with the university, had =omplained about you. "The University did not find either =ommunication to state a credible allegation," Jewett =rote. Miscellaneous =acts: In 2008, you founded the Origins =roject at Arizona State University in Tempe, a multidisciplinary =ffort to understand the origins of the universe, =ife, and social systems. You have led that effort ever =ince. Thanks to best-selling =ooks like The Physics of Star Trek and A Universe From =othing, frequent essays in publications including the New Yorker and the New York Times, and the documentary you =ade with biologist Richard Dawkins, called The Unbelievers, you are celebrated as one =f America's leading public intellectuals. You served on the science =olicy committee for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign =nd are a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. You also make regular =ublic appearances across the world, often at gatherings of skeptics and =theists. At CSICon in Las Vegas in October, a =ew dozen fans paid $500 per head to attend a VIP luncheon with you and =awkins. Many more lined up to get =ou to sign their copy of your latest book, The Greatest Story Ever =old — So Far. Online, people can =/span>buy T-shirts emblazoned "Lawrence=Krauss for President." In talks and interviews, =ou have argued that our universe arose without divine intervention, =hat religion drives xenophobia, and that our brains are =/span>hardwired to believe <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDhHK8nk_V0> . You have stated that science provides answers to many of =ife's biggest questions, and can even fix great societal =njustices. Earlier this year, at a Q&A event to promote your new book, the conversation came around to =he dearth of women and minorities in science. "Science itself =vercomes misogyny and prejudice and bias," you said. "It =80 s built in: Questioning yourself, always questioning results, =uestioning others, relying on empirical evidence." You have clashed with some =keptics over your defense of Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire financier =ho in 2008 was convicted for soliciting prostitution from underage =irls, and spent 13 months in a Florida jail. 7 EFTA_R1_01704635 EFTA02549415  Through his private =oundation, Epstein has funded the work of several prominent scientists. =e has provided funding for your Origins Project, supporting lectureship =nd scholarship programs, most recently pledging $100,000 in =014. In April 2011, you =/span>told the Daily Beast: "As=a scientist I always judge things on empirical evidence and he always =as women ages 19 to 23 around him, but I've never seen anything =Ise, so as a scientist, my presumption is that whatever the problems =ere I would believe him over other people." In a blog comment about the Epstein controversy, you wrote: =E2 I remain skeptical, and I support a man whose character I =elieve I know...lf you want to condemn me for that, so be =t." • You were made an honorary member of CFI's board of =irectors in December 2011. A blog post published in =ugust 2013 described incidents #1 and #4, naming you. Another post, =ublished at around the same time, described incident #5. The first post was edited =o remove your name after you had commented that the allegations of =ssault were "potentially illegal." The second post was =uickly taken down. Again, if you wish to comment on or clarify any of these =oints, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. If I do not =espond immediately it is because I am on another call, so please leave =he best phone number to reach you. Thanks, Peter Aldhous =/span> Peter Aldhous, PhD Science reporter I BuzzFeed News Lawrence M. Krauss Director, The =rigins Project at ASU Co-Director, Cosmology =nitiative Foundation Professor School of Earth & Space =xploration and Physics Department Arizona State =niversity, 8 EFTA_R1_01704636 EFTA02549416 9 EFTA_R1_01704637 EFTA02549417