Stanford Upheld in Rejecting Historian

SAN JOSE — Noted historian Norman Davies’ views on Poland’s treatment of Jews have always been controversial.

But when Stanford University denied him a tenured job, he sued, claiming he was turned away because of his writings.

This week, a state appellate court upheld Stanford’s 1986 right to reject Davies’ application, and school officials said the ruling reinforces schools’ academic freedom to hire and fire without interference.

“In effect, the entire system of American education would be undone if his complaint had been accepted,” said Paul Robinson, a Stanford history professor who was chairman of the department in 1986. “Anyone could claim politics when really we were just expressing our scholarly views.”

Davies’ attorney said he didn’t know if the history professor would appeal the ruling by the 6th District Court of Appeal.

The 17-page decision said a Stanford review committee that refused to offer Davies a tenured position didn’t err by discussing his academic views on Poland’s treatment of Jewish people.

Davies, 50, wrote extensively about the Nazi occupation of Poland during World War II, contending that Poles suffered as much as Jews did and could have done little to save the 3 million Jews who died during the occupation.