The woman in the sexual relationship did not cooperate with Princeton’s original investigation. But after the Princetonian report, she filed a formal complaint that led the administration to open a new investigation, which she said was looking at new issues rather than revisiting old violations, according to the university’s report. .
Princeton claimed that Dr. Katz discouraged the woman from seeking mental health treatment while they were together for fear of disclosing their relationship; that he pressured her not to cooperate with the investigation in 2018; and that he had obstructed that investigation by not being fully honest and open, according to the report.
Dr. Katz’s wife, Solveig Gold, said he lost many friends because of the controversy. “Nobody wants to be seen in his presence, in his company, in his friendship,” she said.
Mrs. Gold, 27, who is finishing her doctorate. in Classics at Cambridge University, graduating from Princeton in 2017. She said she had been his student, but there was no romantic relationship between them at the time. They married in July 2021.
Mrs. Gold said her husband had several job offers. “Cancelled people have a way of protecting each other,” she said. “But none of them are the work he’s loved doing all his life.”
Some of Dr. Katz’s colleagues treat his Quillette article as a lesson. It was included on a college website, “To Be Known and Heard,” which attacks Princeton and systemic racism. The site includes a historical overview of free speech controversies, beginning with the minstrel and ending with quotes from his article.
The timeline reads, “Throughout its history, Princeton has grappled with what crosses the ‘line’ between free speech and free speech, and racist statements and actions.”
Sheelagh McNeill contributed to the research.