Court dismisses Turkish blacklist case

A U.S. district court has dismissed a Turkish group's lawsuit filed against the University of Minnesota over how the U portrayed its Website, the Minnesota Daily reports.

The Turkish Coalition of America had claimed the U's Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies was blacklisting its Web site by calling it an "unreliable" site for research on the issue of whether Turkey committed genocide against Armenians during World War I.

The Daily reports:

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In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank said that the Supreme Court has “recognized the freedom of a university to make its own judgments as to education,” including the right to decide “on academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.”

U General Counsel Mark Rotenberg stated stated in a release:

“This case has been followed closely by scholars around the world because of its important implications for academic freedom. If scholars faced legal liability each time they engaged in academic critique, the concept of academic freedom would be greatly diminished. The Court’s decision today confirms the right of scholars to engage in academic critiques without fear of legal retribution. The university applauds today’s decision.”