EFTA02548795

From: Lawrence Krauss < Sent: Monday, December 11, 2017 5:48 PM To: Sam Harris Cc: Travis Pangburn; Lawrence Krauss Subject: Re: Sexual harassment and Lawrence Krauss from I =as planning on writing both of you today or tomorrow if buzzfeed =ecided to go ahead with their story after I wrote to them, but since =hey sent this to you here is what I was planning to forward.. namely my =esponse to their email and their original email. I hope it =elps. They have clearly decided in advance to try to smear me, =nd potentially other atheists (I found the remarks in their =E244miscellaneous facts' telling in this regard), and I =elt a detailed response to the false claims was important. If you =ant to discuss this further I am happy to. I am currently on a plane =eading to phoenix. Thanks for forwarding. LMK Begin forwarded message: From: Lawrence Krauss < <mailto > > Subject: Re: URGENT: BuzzFeed =ews inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment Date: December 11, 2017 at 10:18:30 AM MST To: Peter Aldhous <[email protected]> Cc: I appreciate the opportunity to =espond to your email. I am currently on a plane until noon pacific =ime, and then heading to a meeting right after landing, till about 2 pm =r so. While I am running the risk that you will report my =omments, if you do, either out of context, or incompletely, I am =esponding with an effort to be complete, as I always try and do with =eporters. If you decide to go ahead with a story, which, after =eading my responses, I hope you decide is inappropriate, I would like =ou to quote my responses fully in order not to distort them. =nbsp; It is =ard to know how to respond to a list of false and/or distorted =negations, along with misleading statements. I treat people I interact =ith with respect, and I work hard to support and mentor students, =olleagues, and members of the general public, and this is supported by =he institutions of which I am a part. I do not sexually harass =eople. If the purpose of your reporting is to somehow argue that =niversities and other institutions are lax in dealing with well known =ndividuals like myself, then in fact the situation is quite the =pposite. My high public profile opens me up to more scrutiny at =hese institutions, not less, and it also opens me up to a host of =nfounded outside complaints and allegations that other faculty do not =eceive, each of which the University has to respond to. The fact =hat I have remained a professor in all Universities with which I have =een associated, in good standing, and also an officer or an invited =peaker at organizations like CFI, which have strict harassment =olicies, is a confirmation of the fact that their experience validates = trust in my behavior. I was asked to be an honorary director of =FI, and continue to be invited to their last 3 meetings to speak, =pecifically because, as they have written me after the fact, the =ttendees universally EFTA_R1_01703794 EFTA02548795 appreciated my talks, my courtesy, and =raciousness in spending time with the attendees. If the purpose =f your report is to impugn my integrity or suggest I have a history of =arassment, 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 =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 =1st) 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. 2 EFTA_R1_01703795 EFTA02548796 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. - 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 =Ilegation 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 3 EFTA_R1_01703796 EFTA02548797 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 =0, 2017, at 6:12 PM, Peter Aldhous <[email protected]> wrote: Dr. Krauss: As you know, I'm=a reporter for BuzzFeed News who has been investigating sexual =isconduct allegations against you. As we've already discussed =y email, I'd very much like to interview you about these =llegations 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 =niversities independently concluded that the report was unsubstantiated =nd fabricated with malicious intent." We are not aware that =ither university concluded fabrication or malicious intent, so if you =ave evidence to support this assertion, we would like to see and =iscuss 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 =everal allegations of sexual misconduct dating from 2006 to 2016 (see =ull details below). Our reporting also goes into how the various =nstitutions you have been affiliated with — Case Western, =rizona State University, the Australian National University, the New =ollege of the Humanities, and the Center for Inquiry, for which you =erve as an honorary member of the board of directors — have =andled complaints and concerns about your behavior during this time. =/span> Our story is =orroborated by emails, university documents, official complaints, =estimony from victims and eyewitnesses, and interviews with more than =wo dozen of your current and former academic colleagues, students, and =eers 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 =ublishing our story Tuesday morning, Eastern US Time. Based on our =eporting, this is what we plan to publish: Incident =: 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 =o invite her to dinner. 4 EFTA_R1_01703797 EFTA02548798 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 your room first because you needed =o finish some work. In your hotel room, you seemed in no rush to leave. You =rdered a cheese plate, and later champagne, despite her suggestion that =ou go down to dinner. You then made a comment about her eye makeup, getting very close to =er face. You then lifted her by =er arms, and pushed her onto the bed beneath you, forcibly kissing her =nd trying to pull down the crotch of her 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 =ondom, she got out from under you. She said "I have to go,"=and rushed out of the room. Incident 2: In an incident that =ccurred in fall of 2007 while you were a physics professor at Case =estern Reserve University, a student tried to =alk to you about her plans after graduation. You mentioned to her how =ough it must be to have all the other physics majors asking her out on =ates. In a second incident in December of 2007, while you were =till at Case Western, the same student visited your office to interview =ou for a student science journal. You closed the door behind her, and =gnored the questions she had prepared. Then you made a casual comment =bout taking her out for dinner. Later, in a regular column for the school paper, she =escribed her experiences with you, without mentioning you by name. =E2QQThere 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 =pproached by a dean at the university, who suspected that she was =eferring to you, based on a previously reported incident with another =tudent. He encouraged her to make a complaint, and she did.=/span> University investigators interviewed both you and the =tudent. On September 4, 2008, =usan Nickel•Schindewolf, the university's associate vice =resident for student affairs, wrote to the student, telling her that =he investigation was complete. She wrote that you had been told: =E2$ 'This type of behavior could constitute sexual harassment in =iolation of the university's sexual harassment =ol icy." The letter also stated =hat you were prohibited from making contact with the student as long as =he remained at Case. N 5 EFTA_R1_01703798 EFTA02548799 The letter also stated =hat you are required to get approval from the dean or the chair of the =hysics department before setting foot on the campus =gain. The letter also =tated, "Dr. Krauss expressed regret about having a negative =mpact on you, and also his willingness to use this complaint as an =pportunity to reflect and improve on his future interactions with =tudents." By then, you had =lready left Case, taking up your current position at Arizona State =niversity the month before. "The =pportunities being offered at ASU are simply too great to turn down at =his stage in my career," you told Case colleagues, in an email =nnouncing your departure on April 16, 2008. Incident =: 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 =nother university, an atheist activist, in March 2008 at the American =theists Convention in Minneapolis. She wanted to expand the atheist =roup she ran at the midwestern university she was attending, and hoped =o convince you to come and speak. You initially seemed enthusiastic. =/span> During the convention, attendees including you and Richard =awkins went for dinner with the student and volunteers for Dawkins'=foundation. Afterwards, the =tudent invited you to join the volunteers for a drink. =/span> 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 =gain at the American Atheists =onvention in Des Moines, Iowa, in April 2011. You pulled over a =hair for her in the bar, and then started running your hand up her leg =nder 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 =ruise <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnrP8B-IKxE> . We understand that CFI staff were informed that you had 6 EFTA_R1_01703799 EFTA02548800 =ropositioned a female cruise•goer, who rejected an invitation to join =ou and your female companion for sex in your =abin. At least two CFI =taffers were sufficiently concerned about reports of your behavior that =hey urged CFI's president not to invite 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 =t a dinner held at the Melbourne Zoo as part of the Australian Skeptics National =onvention, where you were a =eatured speaker. With conference delegates chatting over drinks, a woman asked =ou for a celebrity selfie. As the woman held out her phone to take the picture, you =eached over her shoulder and grabbed her right =reast. She immediately reacted, bodychecking you and spinning =round. "Don't do that," she said. =/span> BuzzFeed News has seen =he complaint made by another woman to ASU, ANU, and the New College of =he Humanities in London, including the selfie, her face obscured to =onceal her identity. It shows your hand in motion as a blur in front of =er shoulder, apparently moving toward her chest. Two other eyewitnesses rave confirmed the complainant's account of what =appened. In April 2017, the complainant described the incident on her =log. After hearing more about your reputation for inappropriate =ehavior from blog readers, she decided to file a complaint about the =ov. 2016 incident. • On July 16, she filed formal complaints with Arizona State =niversity, and with the Australian National University in Canberra and =he New College of the Humanities in London, where you have visiting =ppointments. Both Arizona State and the Australian National University =old her they would look into the matter. But neither university found =gainst you. "Based on the material available to the University, =e do not have sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations,"=Kiaran Kirk, dean of the College of Science at the Australian National =niversity, wrote to her. Erin Ellison, who heads Arizona State's Office of =quity & Inclusion, wrote to her explaining that an inquiry "d=d not find a violation of university policy." =nbsp; In October, Arizona State denied a request from BuzzFeed News =or documents relating to complaints of sexual harassment against you. =owever, Cynthia Jewett, the university's senior associate =eneral counsel, noted that two individuals, neither =ffiliated with the university, had complained about you. "The =niversity did not find either communication to state a credible =Ilegation," Jewett wrote. 7 EFTA_R1_01703800 EFTA02548801 Miscellaneous facts: In 2008, you founded =he Origins Project <https://origins.asu.eduk at Arizona State =niversity in Tempe, a multidisciplinary effort to understand the =/span>origins of the =niverse, life, and social systems. You have led that effort ever =ince. Thanks to best-selling books like The Physics of Star =rek and A Universe From =othing, frequent essays in publications including the New Yorker and the New York =imes, and the documentary you made with biologist Richard =awkins, called The =nbelievers, you are celebrated as one of America's leading =ublic intellectuals. r You served on the science policy committee for Barack =bama's 2008 presidential campaign and are a vocal critic of =resident Donald Trump. You also make regular public appearances across the world, =ften at gatherings of skeptics and atheists. =ith you and Dawkins. • Told — So Far. At CSICon in Las Vegas in =ctober, a few dozen fans paid $500 per head to attend a VIP luncheon Many more lined up to get you to sign their copy of your =atest book, The Greatest Story =ver Online, people can buy =-shirts emblazoned "Lawrence Krauss for =resident." In talks and interviews, you have argued that our universe =rose without divine intervention, that religion drives =enophobia, and that our brains are hardwired to believe. You have stated that =cience provides answers to many of life's biggest questions, =nd can even fix great societal injustices. Earlier this year, at a Q&A event to promote your new =ook, the conversation came around to the dearth of women and minorities =n science. "Science itself overcomes misogyny and prejudice and =las," you said. "It's built in: Questioning =ourself, always questioning results, questioning others, relying on =mpirical evidence." You have clashed with some skeptics over your defense of =effrey Epstein, a billionaire financier who in 2008 was convicted for =oliciting prostitution from underage girls, and spent 13 months in a =lorida jail. Through his private foundation, Epstein has funded the work =f several prominent scientists. He has provided funding for your =rigins Project, supporting lectureship and scholarship programs, most =ecently pledging $100,000 in 2014. In April 2011, you told the Daily Beast: =E2$- As a scientist I always judge things on empirical evidence and =e always has women ages 19 to 23 around him, but I've never =een anything else, so as a scientist, my presumption is that whatever =he problems were I would believe him over other =eople." In a blog comment about the Epstein controversy, you wrote: =E244)4H remain skeptical, and I support a man whose character I :relieve I know...lf you want to condemn me for that, so be =t." You were made an =onorary member of CFI's board of directors in December =011. 8 EFTA_R1_01703801 EFTA02548802 A blog post published in August 2013 described incidents #1 =nd #4, naming you. Another post, published at around the same time, =escribed incident #5. The first post was edited to remove your name after you had =ommented that the allegations of assault were "potentially =llegal." The second post was quickly taken =own. 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 =ldhous, PhD Science reporter I BuzzFeed News tel: cell: www.peteraldhous.com </=iv> On Dec 11, 2017, at 10:38 AM, =am Harris < FYI <mailto » wrote: Virginia =ughes submitted a message to the Sam Harris Contact Publicist Contact =orm on Mon, December 11, 2017 - 7:37 am. Name: Virginia Hughes Email: <mailtol Subject: Sexual harassment and Lawrence Krauss Message: Hi, We are journalists at =uzzFeed News, reporting an investigation about sexual harassment =Ilegations against Lawrence Krauss between 2006 to 2016. Much of the story revolves around his conduct =n the skeptics movement, and about how skeptic organizations — =articularly CFI — have handled complaints about his =ehavior. 9 EFTA_R1_01703802 EFTA02548803 We wanted to give you — =s a leader of the atheist movement and one of Krauss's =ollaborators — the opportunity to comment on these =llegations. We plan to publish on Tuesday =orning. Let us know soon if you'd like to comment. Ginny Hughes, Peter Aldhous, Azeen Ghorayshi 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, P.O. Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404 Research Office: Origins Office (Cynthia): = <mailto Assistant (Jessica): = 10 EFTA_R1_01703803 EFTA02548804