I was quoted in Thursday's issue of The Chronicle, in Elliott Wolf's column "Physician, heal thyself," as stating, with respect to Duke Students for an Ethical Duke, "I told them that I will not be part of this lynch mob."
To clear up what I said to DSED early on-before they had really formed-was I would not be part of a lynch mob. I do not believe Duke Students for an Ethical Duke is a lynch mob, nor is that why I am not their faculty advisor. I do not blame Wolf for the wording in the quote because it is entirely probable that I spoke incorrectly. I do think it is important to clear up what a huge difference in meaning one word makes as well as the timing of my statement.
I will also point out, because it is important and because it is something I did not emphasize to Wolf, that DSED founder Ken Larrey has sought inputs and critiques from me at several stages along the way and from the very beginning-and that while I provided a few, I failed to deliver on most, especially recently. It is a professional failure for me as well as a personal one, and for that I apologize to Larrey and to DSED. It is also highly unfair for me to criticize them given my own lack of communication with the group and the people in it, despite their requests for same, and so I apologize for that as well.
Michael Gustafson
assistant professor of the practice,
electrical and computer engineering
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