The APA Code of Conduct, with its violation of the academic freedom rights of faculty, was always an absurd document. But one might have thought at least those responsible for it would care about it. Apparently not!
One co-author of the Code, philosopher Yolonda Wilson (Howard), while disagreeing with my views about the APA, decided she also needed to do so by deeming me a "mediocre-ass white man." (We shall bracket the inaptness of the characterization, apart from the "man" bit.) Let's note some of the provisions of the Code Professor Wilson helped write which this seems to violate:
1. Section IV, regarding "Electronic Communications," provides that "it’s best to avoid ad hominem arguments and personal attacks, especially if they amount to slander, libel, and/or sexual harassment and "Language used in professional electronic communications should use the same kind of inclusive language and reflect the same kind of mutual respect as is expected in the classroom or other face-to-face interactions." Professor Wilson might defend her use of personal attacks and lack of mutual respect and inclusive language by noting that this was not a professional communication (although its subject was a matter of professional concern) and perhaps it was not made from her Howard University computer. (I note in passing that in response to my pointing out her hypocrisy, she offered as a defense the claim that she would "say it to my face." I admire that forthrightness, though if anything would violate the APA Code of Conduct, surely it would be face-to-face abuse with epithets...one hopes!)
2. Section V, on "Bullying [sic] and Harassment," purports to apply to conduct by APA members not simply towards colleagues and students but "others in the profession." This is specifically said to prohibit "any degrading, hostile, or offensive conduct or comment by a person towards another that the person knew or reasonably ought to have known would cause the target to be humiliated, intimidated, or otherwise gratuitously harmed. Typical examples of bullying and harassment include verbal aggression" and "calling someone conventionally derogatory names or using derogatory stereotypes to describe them." Obviously Professor Wilson is in plain violation of this provision of the Code. Professor Wilson, however, explained that she was not being hypocritical in her conduct because, "Truth-telling is not hypocritical." Now in the Code as written, there is clearly no exception for "truth-telling" via verbal aggressionn and the use of derogatory names and stereotypes. But for those originalists out there, please take note: according to one of the framers, none of these provisions apply when one takes onself to speak truthfully!
Shall we hold our breath to see whether any officer of the APA deigns to condemn this violation of the Code by an APA member involved in drafting it? Of course not!
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