In a June 20 letter to the Lawrence Journal-World, Peter C. Haney, Assistant Director, Latin American & Caribbean Studies at KU, responded to Gene Budig and Alan Heaps' column on liberal intolerance on campus. Budig and Heaps wrote the following about Robert Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley:
Hearing differing views is part of the learning process at all levels of higher education. So said Bill Bowen, the former president of Princeton University. He blasted students at Haverford College who campaigned against Robert Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley.
More than 40 students and three professors protested Birgeneau’s invitation, objecting to his handling of a 2011 incident at Berkeley. Bowen said the students were “immature” and “arrogant.” His remarks drew a standing ovation.
The 2011 incident at Berkeley entailed what most observers considered an excessive use of force by UC Berkeley police during an Occupy Cal protest while Birgeneau was in Asia. "Budig and Heaps think academic freedom is in danger," Haney writes. "What they don’t say about Birgeneau is that UC police beat Occupy protestors with batons on campus in 2011 while he was chancellor. According to news reports, he has expressed regrets but refuses to apologize."
However, a quick Internet search shows that Birgeneau did indeed apologize just days after the incident. “I have been hearing from many of you about police procedures on our campus, and I want to share my thoughts directly with you," Birgeneau stated in a message to UC Berkeley students. "I sincerely apologize for the events of November 9 at UC Berkeley and extend my sympathies to any of you who suffered an injury during these protests. As chancellor, I take full responsibility for these events and will do my very best to ensure that this does not happen again."
