Former Harvard University lecturer, Carole Hooven, has alleged that her career was derailed and she received no support from the university's administration amidst a controversy surrounding her defense of biological sex.
In a recent interview with The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, Hooven expressed her disappointment, stating, "I gave everything to that place. I had expected that they would (support me)."
Hooven, who previously taught the "Hormones and Behavior" course in human evolutionary biology at Harvard, became a controversial figure in 2021. The controversy arose when she was questioned about the pressure on medical school professors to refrain from using terms such as "male," "female," and "pregnant women."
"The ideology seems to be that biology really isn't as important as how somebody feels about themselves or feels their sex to be," Hooven told Fox News. "The facts are that there are, in fact, two sexes there are male and female and those sexes are designated by the kind of gametes we produce."
Hooven's remarks were quickly criticized by Harvard's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) officer, Laura Simone Lewis. Lewis accused Hooven of launching a "transphobic" attack on "non-cis people within the med system." Lewis also labeled Hooven's opposition to terms like "pregnant people" as "dangerous."
Lewis defended her stance on Twitter, stating, "Inclusive language like 'pregnant people' demonstrates respect for EVERYONE who has the ability to get pregnant, not just cis women." Neither Harvard, Hooven, nor Lewis responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hooven believes that the public criticism from Lewis and the ensuing online backlash thrust her into the broader cultural debate around gender, ultimately leading to her departure from Harvard. She also claimed that her critique of "inclusive language" in medical schools led to repercussions at the university.
According to Hooven, graduate students are securing DEI positions and promoting viewpoints that administrators are hesitant to challenge. "A lot of the norms of discourse changed because of DEI influence," she said. "It was very influential, and I know for a fact that faculty were nervous about p-----g off the people on the DEI task force."
Hooven further suggested that Lewis felt empowered to make her online comments due to DEI practices and protests from progressive students. When Hooven asked Lewis to clarify what she considered transphobic or harmful to undergraduate students, she said the negative reactions to her increased, and she "wanted someone at the department" to defend her.
Hooven admitted that it was "nave" to think her professional experiences and positive reviews would shield her from the controversy. She was taken aback by the lack of support from her Harvard colleagues, who were aware of her positive rapport with students.
After being labeled a "bigot" by postgraduates who refused to serve as her teaching assistant, Hooven decided to leave her position at the prestigious Ivy League institution. "There was no evidence provided, and I looked for it, of any racist abuse on Twitter," she said. "But that was the narrative, that's all you need is just the appearance of something, a narrative."
Despite the controversy, Hooven stated she harbors "no animosity" towards Lewis, emphasizing, "This happened because DEI is so powerful in the university." She concluded, "None of them were willing to do anything."
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