In a statement published to GWU’s website on Friday, unnamed faculty members from the school’s Department of History write that they are “shocked and appalled” that Krug would engage in such deception, which appears to have benefitted her greatly—likely at the expense of countless Black women academics and other academics of color, who are already underrepresented in the field.
“The discipline of history is concerned with truth-telling about the past,” the statement reads. “With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching.”
The faculty members are also asking that Krug step down from her position as an associate professor of history. Because the Fugitive Modernities author is tenured, the school can’t simply fire her and call it a day. Under the provisions of GWU’s Faculty Code, the institution can only terminate Krug’s tenure for “adequate cause,” such as “incompetence, lack of scholarly integrity, or gross personal misconduct that destroys academic usefulness,” which…sounds a lot like Krug! But still, I’m sure the whole process needed to find such “adequate cause” is a huge hassle that her fellow faculty members would rather avoid, and Krug can help them do that by simply getting the fuck out.
Read the full statement below:
The members of the faculty of The George Washington University Department of History are shocked and appalled by Dr. Jessica Krug’s admission on September 3, 2020 that she has lied about her identity for her entire career. With what she has termed her ‘audaciously deceptive’ appropriation of an Afro-Caribbean identity, she has betrayed the trust of countless current and former students, fellow scholars of Africana Studies, colleagues in our department and throughout the historical discipline, as well as community activists in New York City and beyond. The discipline of history is concerned with truth-telling about the past. With her conduct, Dr. Krug has raised questions about the veracity of her own research and teaching. Accordingly, the department calls upon Dr. Krug to resign from her position as associate professor of History at GW. Failing that, the department recommends the rescinding of her tenure and the termination of her appointment.
