Ohio State's Gordon Gee calls on universities to embrace intellectual diversity, crack down on protests
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Ohio State University consultant and former president Gordan Gee championed intellectual diversity and spoke out against pro-Palestine student groups in an op-ed for Fox News.
Gee, 81, was rehired by Ohio State to serve in an advisory role for the 2025-2026 school year. Writing for Fox News, Gee said college campuses need to be better at combating antisemitism and to embrace intellectual diversity. A university spokesperson said Gee's column was not done on behalf of the university. See previous coverage of Gee's role with OSU in the video player above.
"It does not take a former university president, who just concluded 45 years of service, to realize that these actions reflect a very serious problem in the way universities conduct their affairs," Gee wrote.
Gee criticized college campuses like George Washington University for allowing pro-Palestine or anti-Israel protests, particularly after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in Gaza. Gee also called Students for Justice in Palestine -- a national coalition of more than 350 university chapters -- "pro-Hamas."
Ohio State is home to a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, which NBC4 was unable to reach for comment before publication. In April 2024, more than 30 students were arrested during pro-Palestine protests on campus.
OSU's faculty advocacy group has called the arrests a "dark mark on OSU's recent history," alleging it suppressed free speech. In contrast, Gee said universities are not doing enough to "restore order" on campuses in the wake of pro-Palestine protests.
"This continuing, intolerable situation, explains why [President Donald] Trump made our universities one of his administration’s top priorities," Gee said.
Gee referenced other universities that have been called out by the Trump administration for antisemitism but did not acknowledge the administration's condemnation of Ohio State. In March, Ohio State was one of 60 universities formally warned by the Department of Education that it could lose funding for not properly protecting students from antisemitism.
Gee also pushed for intellectual diversity and civic education, echoing talking points common among typically conservative politicians and advocates. Like Gee, proponents of increased civic education often advocate for it in ways that reflect American history positively.
"American universities were created to train and challenge young Americans to be proud, committed, informed and industrious citizens of this great nation," Gee said.
Gee said studies show diversity is important, and universities must remember diversifying includes differences in intellectual viewpoints. He said universities must "wean itself, urgently, off its addiction" to partisanship and certain ideologies.
"All university employees have free speech rights and can submit letters to the editor and guest columns without university input or review, as long as they are not speaking on behalf of the university," a university spokesperson said about Gee's column.
Although Gee did not write on behalf of Ohio State, portions of his column did mirror some comments made by university leadership. Gee advocated for history and civic education, and Ohio State has emphasized the same priorities in its new civic center. OSU President Ted Carter also spoke of civil discourse and intellectual diversity during his state of the university address.
The spokesperson did not address questions as to if Gee's opinion was similar to the advice he was giving in his role as university consultant. Faculty told NBC4 they were glad to see the university's response to Gee's statement and expect the same free speech protections for any other staff who might write their own op-eds or make personal statements.