I am writing to the community to apologize for the remarks I made at Monday’s forum, both for what was said and what was not said.

I regret not stating unequivocally that the alleged statements in the Deadspin article are indefensible and completely unacceptable. They were new to me when I read the article last week, and I found them shocking.

I regret my comments, which downplayed the obvious presence and pain of racism on campus. There is no place or excuse for racism, here or in society at large.

I should never have berated the staff in the way I did. There are many competent and hard-working Brandeis staff people. Students and faculty alike, we depend on them and appreciate their work. I should have only referred to specific individuals within HR, the department with which I interacted during the investigation, rather than veering into an inaccurate and pejorative generalization.

For what it’s worth, my comments may have reflected frustration and pessimism about the country we currently inhabit. However, Brandeis must be much better than this, namely, an institution within which community members deal with everyone equally and respectfully. I recognize that my comments had a very different impact; they did not reflect either my opinions or my feelings. The unfortunate situation that gave rise to the forum will hopefully lead to improvements, in our personal and institutional relationships as well as the way that transgressions are handled.

As someone who believes strongly in the mission of the university,

Mea Culpa,

Michael Rosbash
Peter Gruber Professor of Neuroscience