Karen Himle’s “apology” made the front page in the Star Tribune Saturday, but the folks digging through 2500 newly-released emails are finding it hard to believe. Some of the first emails made public show Himle’s contempt for the film and its producers, and don’t give much evidence of concern for academic freedom.
The emails also show clearly that Himle, the Vice President for University Relations, was the person who canceled the film’s release—not Bell Museum officials, as the University originally claimed.
Even in releasing the emails, the U of M has deleted substantial portions of some messages. For a first look at the emails, and some analysis, see Brian Devore’s blog post today.
The emails were released because of demands made under the Minnesota Data Practices Act by environmental organizations and members of the media, including Molly Priesmeyer. Priesmeyer, who is out of the country, will be hard at work reading through those emails on Tuesday, and we’ll continue to publish her reports. The story is not over yet—stay tuned for more.
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