This past week, WGSS graduate instructor Callen Zimmerman became the target of alarming negative media attention.

The WGSS Department expresses our collective support and deep concern for Callen Zimmerman. We are appalled by the vicious attacks being waged against them, and we condemn all forms of doxing, intimidation, and online harassment.

Callen Zimmerman is a PhD candidate in excellent standing in the WGSS Department. They are a brilliant scholar and an innovative teacher with a steadfast commitment to social justice, feminist pedagogy, and transformative knowledge production. Callen has always been and continues to be a valued and respected member of our department.

We unequivocally support the academic freedom of our graduate students, and we join the American Association of University Professors and the National Women’s Studies Association in calling on our university administrators to fully protect these freedoms on our campus. In times of war, the importance of academic freedom cannot be understated; exceptions must not be made.