Hamline Trustees Discuss Prof. Controversy, Call For 'Self-Reflection'

ST. PAUL, MN — The Hamline University Board of Trustees issued a statement that suggests some fault after the administration let go of an art history professor who showed an image of Muḥammad in her class last fall.

Friday's statement from the board strikes a conciliatory tone and is in stark contrast to an earlier statement penned by Hamline University President Fayneese Miller.

Miller remained defiant in face of criticism. But the board said that sometimes "we need to make space for hard conversations and serious self-reflection."

"This is one of those times," the board admitted. "We are listening and we are learning. "

Read the board's full statement below:

"As Minnesota’s first university we’ve learned a lot in our nearly 170 years. Recent events have required us to look deeply into our values. We are a beautifully diverse community committed to educating our students and ourselves, and sometimes that means we need to make space for hard conversations and serious self-reflection. This is one of those times. We are listening and we are learning. The Hamline University Board of Trustees is actively involved in reviewing the University’s policies and responses to recent student concerns and subsequent faculty concerns about academic freedom. Upholding academic freedom and fostering an inclusive, respectful learning environment for our students are both required to fulfill our Mission. We will move forward together and we will be stronger for it."

In her syllabus for the fall semester, professor Erika López Prater reportedly warned that images of religious figures such as Muhammad and Buddha would be shown in her course. Many Muslims believe Muhammad should not be depicted, but not all.

López Prater asked students to contact her if they had concerns, but no one did, according to The New York Times, the publication that first broke the story.

But after López Prater showed a 14th-century work depicting the founder of Islam was shown in class, student Aram Wedatalla complained to the administration.

Subsequently, Hamline's vice president for inclusive excellence sent out a statement in a university-wide email calling López Prater's actions "undeniably inconsiderate, disrespectful and Islamophobic."

López Prater was also told that her services were no longer needed.

López Prater is now teaching at Macalester College, and is considering legal action following the incident, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

The national arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Friday that its "official position" is that the academic study of ancient paintings depicting Muhammad "does not, by itself, constitute Islamophobia."

CAIR added that they've seen "no evidence" that former Hamline University professor Erika Lopez Prater had bigoted intent or engaged in Islamophobia during her course last semester.