29 January, 2019 Dear President Zimmer, Provost Diermeier and Executive Vice-President Fithian: We write to express an erosion of confidence in the leadership of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, in the wake of the recent decision to terminate High School biology teacher Daniel Bobo-Jones. According to its mission statement, “The Laboratory Schools are home to the youngest members of the University of Chicago's academic community. We ignite and nurture an enduring spirit of scholarship, ‘curiosity, creativity, and confidence. We value learning experientally, exhibiting kindness, and honoring diversity." Virtually every aspect of the administration's handling of the termination of Me. Bobo-Fones indicates a disregard forthe ideals of education, community, and respect that this statement sets forth. Dismissal from the academic community represents the mast severe sanction ofa faculty member. It is an ‘action that is only taken in extreme circumstances, such as when an individual presents a threat to the safety and well-being of the community, and with just cause. The Lab School administration has yet to provide the University of Chicago's academic community with a satisfactory explanation or justification for its decision to impose this most extreme form of sanction on Mr. Bobo-Jones. The initial written communication about his abrupt termination on the second day of winter quarter provided no reasons that would have explained this ‘ction or its timing, and thereby invited the inference that he presented a threat to the community. And yet this ference was false: Director Abelmann publicly acknowledged in a meeting with parents on Tuesday, January 22 that safety concems played absolutely no role in the administration's decision to terminate Mr, Bobo-Jones. Director Abelmann’s email of January 26 indicates that grading practices and student-teacher interactions played a role in the administration’ decision, but in no way provides a justification for termination. The administration's communication about this event thus indicates a failure to appreciate, anticipate or substantively address the coneems of the community, and a deep disregard for how its actions impact the reputation of a faculty member who has contributed to the school and its edueational enterprise for many years. Without access to the case for termination, we are unable to weigh in on its merits; but the administration’s ‘communications about the matter have fostered confusion, even alarm, and invited rampant speculation — all Of this at a school that demands of its students and its faculty precise and open communication as well as ‘carefully considered actions Furthermore, the administration failed to adequately plan for the educational and emotional well-being of the ‘many children affected by Mr. Bobo-Jones' termination; both the students in his classes and in the groups he advised who were directly affected by the loss of a respected teacher and trusted advisor, and those who were indirectly affected by the distress oftheir classmates and the disruption in the school, The termination of a faculty member occasions real distress and yet very litte inthe administration's actions or communicationssubsequent tothe termination of Mr. Bobo-Jones appears to reflect a recognition of this fact. This i all the more worrisome given the recent release of the Lab Schools’ Health & Wellness Survey results, ‘Communication surrounding that release too could and should have been more effective and straightforward, Among its many concerning revelations, the Survey indicated severe and worrisome levels of stress for middle school and especially high school students. The administration's recent actions have now exacerbated rather than alleviated such stress, As faculty and stafTof the University of Chicago, we are deeply committed tothe ideals of inquiry, community ‘and respect that are expressed in the Lab Schools’ mission statement. Itis our pleasure to contribute our time ‘and our expertise in support of Lab’s mission, and itis our privilege to entrust our children to Lab's unique ‘educational experience. It is, as well, our expectation that the Lab School administration would take its responsibilities its students and faculty, first and foremost, but also to the parent body and the university ‘community itis a part of—seriously; that it would communicate its concems in a forthright and thoughtful ‘manner; and that it would seck to ensure that its actions are transparent and readily comprehended. Instead, the Lab School administration's actions in the wake of Mr. Bobo-Jones” termination have exacerbated the sense ‘of confusion, betrayal, and alarm occasioned by the original action, These are not the actions we would expect of leaders of any educational institution, and certainly not one that educates the youngest members of the University of Chicago community. We request that the University leadership initiate an investigation into the mid-year termination of Mr. Bobo-Jones and the administration's handling of its aftermath, as part ofa substantive assessment of the leadership's commitment to the ideals of the school. Absent such an assessment, we fear that confidence and trust of Lab students, faculty, and parents inthe schools administration wll continue to erode. Respectfully, Christopher Kennedy, William H. Colvin Professor and Chair, Department of Linguistics Christine Mebring, Professor and Chair, Department of Art History; Adjunct Curator, Smart Museum ‘Olga Solovieva, Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Literature Laura Letinsky, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Visual Arts Brodwyn Fischer, Professor of History Richard Neer, Barbara E. and Richatd J. Franke Distinguished Service Professor in Att History, Cinema & Media Studies and the College Leslie Kay, Professor, Department of Psychology, Graduate committees in Neurobiology and Computational Neuroscience, Institute for Mind and Biology Samuel Volchenboum, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Biological Sciences Daniel Calleri, Science Department Chair, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools ‘Chang-Tai Hsieh, Phyllis and Irwin Winkelreid Professor, Booth School of Business Oleg Urminsky, Professor, Booth School of Business Malynne Sternstein, Associate Professor of Slavie Languages and Literatures and The College Emilio Kouri, Professor of History and Director, Katz Center for Mexican Studies Dan L. Nicolae, Professor and Chair, Department of Statistics, Professor of Medicine Augustus Rose, Assistant Professor of Practice in the Arts, Program in Creative WritingMatthew Stephens, Professor, Department of Statistics and Department of Human Genetics Seth Richardson, Managing Editor, Journal of Near Eastern Studies Whitney Cox, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of South Asian Languages and Ci Alison James, Associate Professor, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Mary Sara MePeek, Professor, Department of Statistics and Department of Human Genetics Jonathan Lear, John U. Nef Distinguished Service Professor, Committee on Social Thought, Department of Philosophy Na’ama Rokem, Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Literature Leah Carter, Regulatory Manager, Cancer Clinical Trials Office Instructor, Medical Writing, Graham School Yi-Hua Chen, M.D., Professor and Director of Hematopathology, Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Xiaoxi Zhuang, Professor, Department of Neurobiology Helga Anetshofer, Lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations James Tao, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Chicago Guillaume Bal, Professor, Department of Statistics and Department of Mathematics, University of Chicago Mary Silber, Professor, Department of Statistics, University of Chicago Peter Pytel, Professor, Department of Pathology, Division of Biological Sciences ‘Yoonsun Choi, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Hoyt Long, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations ‘Catherine Cheng, MD, Interim Director of Clinical Operations, Northwestern Medicine Osher Center for Integrative Medicine; Clinical Instructor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Hue Luu, MD, Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Chicago Jonathan Lyon, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Chicago Leora Auslander, Arthur and Joann Rasmussen Professor of Wester Civilization in the College and Professor ‘of Modern European Social History, History Department, University of Chicago ‘Thomas C. Holt, James Westfall Thompson Distinguished Service Professor of African American History Department, University of Chicago Berthold Hoeckner, Professor and Chait, Department of Music Ahmed El Shamsy, Associate Professor of Islamic Thought, NELC Christian K. Wedemeyer, Associate Professor of the History of Religions, Divinity School Amy Dru Stanley, Associate Professor, History Department and the Law School, University of Chicago Eugene Raikhel, Associate Professor, Department of Comparative Human Development and the College, University of Chicago Bart Schultz, Director of the Civic Knowledge Project, Senior Lecturer in the Humanities Philip A. Verhoef, Assistant Professor, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, BSD Marcelo A. Nobrega, Professor, Department of Human Genetics Petra M. Goodegebuure, Associate Professor, Oriental Institute and NELC, University of Chicago lamar Francez, Associate Professor, Linguistics William Sites, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration, Univers Michael LaBarbera, Emeritus Professor, Dept. of Organismal Biology & Anatomy Joel Isaac, Associate Professor, John U, Nef Committee on Social Thought, University of Chicago Benjamin Morgan, Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature hicago y of Chicago