Late today, The New York Times posted an article by Winnie Hu, “Reconsidering, CUNY Is Likely to Honor Kushner,” which reports on the release of a statement on the Kushner matter by Board of Trustees chair Benno Schmidt. In short, Schmidt has scheduled an executive committee session for this coming Monday, though the letter itself suggests that Schmidt intends to somehow reverse the Board of Trustees decision rescinding the award to Kushner earlier this week. He says in the statement that the trustees “made a mistake of principle, and not merely of policy” in making that decision and in no uncertain terms acknowledges the threat to academic freedom this decision represented:

Freedom of thought and expression is the bedrock of any university worthy of the name. … [It[ is not right for the board to consider politics in connection with the award of honorary degrees except in extreme cases not presented by the facts here. The proposed honorary degree for Mr. Kushner would recognize him for his extraordinary talent and contribution to the American theater. Like other honorary degrees, it is not intended to reflect approval or disapproval for political views not relevant to the field for which the recipient is being honored.

More next week.