No degrees for liars and insurrectionists
“After reviewing the
recommendation from the President, who endorsed the committee’s recommendation,
the Board voted to approve the revocation of these honorary degrees,” said
Chair of the Board of Trustees Margo Cook. “The Board of Trustees supports the
University and its mission to uphold its values, especially its commitment to
intellectual and ethical leadership and fostering an environment of diversity
and respect.”
“I agree with the
Board’s decision,” said President Parlange. “Based on the findings of the
Honorary Degree Committee, I made a recommendation to the Board of Trustees to
revoke the honorary degrees of General Flynn and Mayor Giuliani, agreeing that
they no longer represent the highest level of our values and standards that
were evident when we first bestowed the degree.”
In 2003, Mayor Giuliani was awarded the Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa based on his demonstrated leadership in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In 2014, General Flynn, a 1981 graduate of the University and a three-star Army general, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
The Honorary Degree
Committee, comprised of URI faculty, staff, and students, and chaired
by the Provost, carefully conducted a comprehensive and objective
review of the available evidence regarding this matter. The
Committee forwarded its carefully considered recommendation to the
President, and President Parlange as well as the committee approached
the challenging task with deep respect for the divergent views expressed.
The Committee’s
findings:
General Flynn pleaded
guilty twice to a felony count of “willfully and knowingly” lying to the FBI in
exchange for a plea agreement.
In June 2021, at a
conference in Dallas, Texas, General Flynn appeared to suggest that a military
coup was needed in the U.S., much like the one staged by the military in
Myanmar in 2021.
In November 2021, during
a rally in San Antonio, Texas, General Flynn called for the establishment of
“one religion” in the U.S. His behavior was widely condemned as a violation of
the doctrine of religious freedom enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution.
Mayor Giuliani
participated in the January 6, 2021, rally that incited the assault on the Capitol
building in Washington, D.C. His words encouraged domestic terrorist behavior
aimed at preventing Congress from certifying the outcome of the 2020
presidential election.
Mayor Giuliani has been
suspended from practicing law in Washington, D.C., and the State of New York
for his unfounded claims of rampant fraud during the 2020 presidential
election. The courts have determined that there is evidence that Mayor Giuliani
has made false and misleading statements in representing President Trump and
the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed reelection efforts.
“As a civic institution,
URI has the privilege and responsibility to sustain and preserve American
democracy by inspiring and modeling good citizenship,” Parlange said. “Revoking
these honorary degrees reinforces our values and allows us to lead with truth
and integrity.”