Elizabeth Warren finally acknowledged to the Boston Globe that she told Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania she was Native American when she served on their faculties, but she continues to insist it had no influence on her hiring:
“At some point after I was hired by them, I . . . provided that information to the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard,’’ [Warren] said in a statement issued by her campaign. “My Native American heritage is part of who I am, I’m proud of it and I have been open about it.’’
Warren’s admission comes after the Boston Globe reported that Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania cited a Native American faculty member in federal diversity statistics during Warren’s tenure at the schools. Obviously Harvard and Penn didn’t both list her as Native American based on a wild hunch, so the only real explanation was that Warren told them about her alleged ancestry.
That’s what makes the timing of Warren’s statement to the Globe today so shady. If her self-proclaimed ancestry had nothing to do with her hiring, why did she only admit to telling Harvard and Penn about it after she was backed into a corner by the Globe?
Her story is that Harvard was unaware of her heritage until after she was hired and it came up casually at a faculty lunch. That’s not exactly scandalous, and failing to mention it earlier makes her look like she had something to hide. Add that to the fact that Harvard was reportedly under enormous pressure to hire minority faculty at the time, and plenty of questions remain.
So far, other Harvard faculty involved in Warren’s hiring have backed up her story to the Globe. But does anyone really want to admit to giving someone preferential treatment because of her (now questionable) minority status? First of all, it’s an uncomfortable thing to make public, particularly as it could damage both Harvard’s and Warren’s reputations. And second, no matter how you feel about affirmative action, it would be a major embarrassment if it actually helped someone like Warren cut in line.
I think she is telling the truth that it didn't play a part in her hiring. n nPerhaps she put down she was Indian not to help herself, but rather to help her then-employer lessen some of the pressure it was facing to improve its diversity? n nAnd having done so and not really being in a position to admit she helped game the system, she's been struggling to come up with a reasonable explanation of why she did what she did?
AGREED. Excellent article. She is, again, clearly trying to spin the situation to relieve some of the flack she has gotten for taking advantage of the Native American community. It is a disgrace that she has lied, and continues to lie about her Native American heritage. There continues to be no proof that she is of Native American ancestry. Come clean, Professor Warren!
this is a pretty idiotic story. i wish you guys would stop covering this. who cares, really?
I swear to God she looks Native American to me. Seriously. The high cheekbones set against almond shaped eyes. Not Fakahantas but Pocahontas! Honest Injun! n nWhat?
How is this a non-story? Ms Warren lied to advance herself and game the system. If ncharacter matters anymore this professor failed the test. Dems should pick a better ncandidate.
The backstory to all of this is that the group most helped by Affirmative Retribution have been middle/upper income white women. Remember that it was always "woman or minority" and in any evaluation of Warren qua Indian, one must also mention that had she been born male, would she even have gotten into law school let alone be teaching at one? n n