The University of Minnesota has agreed to pay historian Raz Segal $250,000 after withdrawing its offer for him to lead the university’s Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies in June 2024. The settlement does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by the university.
The offer had followed a rigorous search and the near-unanimous recommendation of an academic committee. It was withdrawn five days after it was made, after criticism of Segal’s writing about Israel’s actions in Gaza and pressure from donors, legislators and pro-Israel activists.
At a glance:
- Segal received the offer on 5 June 2024 after a near-unanimous academic search committee recommendation.
- The university withdrew the offer two days after advisory-board members Karen Painter and Bruno Chaouat resigned in protest, citing concerns about Segal’s views and the search process.
- Emails obtained through a public records request showed organized opposition, including hundreds of similar messages and warnings about donor support.
- Segal is now a tenured professor at Stockton University in New Jersey, where he directs a master’s program in Holocaust and genocide studies.
| 5 June 2024 | After the withdrawal | |
|---|---|---|
| Status of Segal’s appointment | University offer made after an academic search | Offer withdrawn; the position remains unfilled |
| University response | Communications staff initially considered defending the candidate | Leadership cited additional community perspectives and changed course |
| Segal’s outcome | Selected to lead the center | Reached a $250,000 settlement with the university |
How the offer was withdrawn
Segal’s appointment was announced after a search committee of academics praised his qualifications. One member called a presentation he gave “breathtaking”. Two days after the offer, Painter and Chaouat resigned from the center’s advisory board, accusing Segal of justifying Hamas atrocities and blaming Israel for the 7 October attacks. Painter later said she had serious concerns about Israel’s conduct in Gaza but believed Segal was not suitable to lead the center.
The university initially stood by Segal, according to emails reviewed by the Guardian. But on 8 June, a communications staff member warned that defending him too strongly could be risky. On 10 June, interim president Jeff Ettinger told Segal the offer was being withdrawn so the university could determine next steps after community members sought to provide “perspective” on the appointment.
What the pressure campaign showed
Segal’s public records request produced emails showing opposition from donors, state legislators and pro-Israel organizations. One donor warned that fundraising for the center could stop if Segal was hired. Hundreds of messages used nearly identical language, and many included the hashtag #Mothersagainstcollegeantisemitism.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas confirmed it organized opposition. Its deputy executive director said the issue was not Segal’s right to express controversial views, but whether he was appropriate to lead a center with relationships to Holocaust survivors, their descendants, Jewish students and the wider Jewish community. Other Jewish scholars and community members defended Segal, including 40 Holocaust and genocide scholars who warned of a dangerous precedent.
What the settlement means
The $250,000 agreement resolves Segal’s dispute with the university without an admission of wrongdoing by UMN, as is standard in such settlements. Segal’s legal representatives argued that withdrawing the offer retaliated against constitutionally protected speech and violated academic freedom.
Segal said he had hoped UMN would restore the original job offer, but that option was ruled out. The university also suggested on at least two occasions that it might offer him tenured roles elsewhere, but no such offer materialized more than a year later. Faculty passed a no-confidence vote against Ettinger and the provost, while the American Association of University Professors called for the offer to be reinstated.
Questions readers ask
Why did the University of Minnesota withdraw the offer?
UMN said additional members of the university community had come forward to provide perspective and that the director’s community-facing role made it important to hear those views. The reversal followed criticism of Segal’s writing about Israel’s actions in Gaza and an organized campaign against his appointment.
Did the settlement mean the university admitted wrongdoing?
No. The terms state that the $250,000 payment is not an admission of wrongdoing by the University of Minnesota.
Where does Raz Segal work now?
Segal is a tenured professor at Stockton University in New Jersey, where he directs a master’s program in Holocaust and genocide studies.
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