Hofstra University: Professor Investigated for Calling Colleague’s Proposal “Word Salad”

On November 3, 2025, during a Hofstra University faculty meeting, Professor Richard Himelfarb criticized proposals for two new Jewish Studies courses, describing the proposals as  “word salad.” The professor who made the proposals filed a harassment complaint against Himelfarb the following week, alleging the “word salad” comment was discriminatory against his accent, native language, and Latino identity. Himelfarb sent a draft written apology on April 29 per an informal resolution, but on May 8, administrators informed Himelfarb that the professor withdrew his request for an informal resolution and the matter was referred to the University Harassment Review Board. FIRE wrote Hofstra on June 5, explaining that Himelfarb’s comment does not meet the stringent definition of harassment set by both federal law and Hofstra’s own policy. FIRE urged Hofstra to end the investigation and refrain from punishing Himelfarb.