URGENT: BuzzFeed News inquiry re allegations of sexual harassment

I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your email. I am currently on a plane until noon pacific time, and then heading to a meeting right after landing, till about 2 pm or so. While Iam running the risk that you will report my comments, if you do, either out of context, or incompletely, I am responding with an effort to be complete, as I always try and do with reporters. If you decide to go ahead with a story, which, after reading my responses, I hope you decide is inappropriate, I would like you to quote my responses fully in order not to distort them.

It is hard to know how to respond to a list of false and/or distorted allegations, along with misleading statements. I treat people I interact withwith respect, and I work hard to support and mentor students, colleagues, and members of the general public, and this is supported by the institutions of which Iam a part. I do not sexually harass people. Ifthe purpose of your reporting is to somehow argue that Universities and other institutions are lax in dealing with well known individuals like myself, then in fact the situation is quite the opposite. My high public profile opens me up to more scrutiny at these institutions, not less, and it also opens me up to a host of unfounded outside complaints and allegations that other faculty do not receive, each of which the University has to respond to. The fact that I have remained a professor in all Universities with which I have been associated, in good standing, and also an officer or an invited speaker at organizations like CFI, which have strict harassment policies, is a confirmation of the fact that their experience validates a trust in my behavior. I was asked to be an honorary director of CFI, and continue to be invited to their last 3 meetings to speak, specifically because, as they have written me after the fact, the attendees universally appreciated my talks, my courtesy, and graciousness in spending time with the attendees. If the purpose of your report is to impugn my integrity or suggest I have a history of harassment, that too is false. As noted in one of your ‘miscellaneous facts’, as a scientist I try and remain skeptical, and rely on empirical evidence, rather than allegations and innuendo by people whose motives I cannot judge. I also try and judge the facts in context. The

I was planning on writing both of you today or tomorrow if buzzfeed decided to go ahead with their story after I wrote to them, but since they sent this to you here is what I was planning to forward.. namely my response to their email and their original email. I hope it helps. They have clearly decided in advance to try to smear me, and potentially other atheists (I found the remarks in their ‘miscellaneous facts’ telling in this regard), and I felt a detailed response to the false claims was important. If you want to discuss this further I am happy to. Iam currently on a plane heading to phoenix.

Thanks for forwarding.

LMK