(José Niño, Headline USA) Longtime economics expert Eric Rasmusen claims Indiana University blocked his emeritus status because of his past social media activity. Rasmusen left his position in 2021 but sought the title later to regain access to digital research libraries.
The university recently informed him that they would not consider his request. This denial forces him to rely on colleagues to help him find academic papers. “If I continue to be denied access, I will accept that,” Rasmusen told The College Fix.
The conflict started in 2019 when Rasmusen shared a quote regarding intelligence and gender. The post stated that “Geniuses are overwhelmingly male because they combine outlier high IQ with moderately low Agreeableness and moderately low Conscientiousness.” Administrators responded by labeling his personal views as “vile and stupid” in a campus wide memo.
While the school acknowledged First Amendment protections prevented his firing, they implemented blind grading and alternative classes for his students. National Association of Scholars President Peter Wood argues that withholding this honor is highly unusual. He noted that such titles are typically free for the school to grant.
Wood suggested that only extreme misconduct like fraud or serious crimes justifies such a move. Rasmusen maintains his academic record is strong, noting his book has been translated into many languages and he held guest roles at Yale and Harvard.
Rasmusen has decided against taking the school to court. He believes legal battles drain energy and create bitterness. Instead, he uses his Substack to address the claims made against him. He clarified that he does not oppose women in the workforce and noted that his own wife taught at a university.
He also defended his stance on admissions by arguing that “Affirmative action may be right; it may be wrong; but that’s what it is.” Indiana University officials have not provided comments regarding the specific criteria used to reject his application.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
