NOTE: Faculty, if you are interviewed and quoted by news media, or if your work has been cited, and you have an online link to the article or video, please let us know. Contact us at news@csusb.edu.
CSUSB English professor, a former NY prosecutor, interviewed about case involving San Bernardino prosecutor accused of offensive social media postsThe Orange County Register/Southern California New GroupJuly 19, 2018 Mary Boland, a former prosecutor in New York who is now a composition professor at Cal State San Bernardino, was interviewed for an article that reported four members of the state Legislature are beseeching California’s attorney general to open an investigation into Michael Selyem, head of the hard-core gang unit of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, in the aftermath of revelations about Selyem’s offensive and highly partisan social media posts, the newspaper reported. A deputy district attorney has a duty to maintain the integrity of the legal profession in accordance with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the state legislators said. “Unfortunately, Deputy District Attorney Michael Selyem has broken that sacred trust, and might have violated professional ethics.” “Generally speaking, lawyers have a duty to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. This is especially important for prosecutors, whose work affects the very liberty of others,” Boland said via email. “In this case, Mr. Selyem’s comments were overtly racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, and transphobic,” Boland said. “While his expressed attitudes cannot be mistaken for evidence of misconduct in the cases he’s prosecuted, they do fairly undermine public confidence in his work. I am relieved that the SBDA’s office is conducting an internal investigation and reconsidering his fitness to serve.” Read the complete article at “State lawmakers ask attorney general to probe disgraced San Bernardino County prosecutor’s past cases.”
Dating term ‘benching’ explained by CSUSB psychology professorMyDomaineJuly 20, 2018 In an article on the lifestyle website: “We all know that dating can be a distinctly complicated challenge. Optimism is key, of course, so we splurge on the outfit, choose the right location, and hope for the best. But we also try to stay realistic, too, so we remind ourselves that there's a chance of stilted conversation and crossed signals as well as the dreaded potential for ghosting or even heartbreak down the line. It's tough to keep it all straight. And that's why it isn't exactly easy for us to mention another way dating can be hard: benching. “‘Benching is when a person expresses interest in a potential dating partner, but the relationship doesn't progress at a normal pace because that person places the prospective partner 'on the bench,' says Kelly Campbell, PhD, an associate professor of psychology and human development at California State University, San Bernardino. 'It's a sports metaphor indicating that the prospective partner is not a top priority because the other person has better options or the timing might be off.’' Read the complete article at “What is 'benching'? We asked an expert to break down this aspect of dating.”
CSUSB professor comments on report of FBI vastly undercounting anti-Arab hate crimes Voice of America NewsJuly 20, 2018 Brian Levin, director of Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, comments on a comprehensive report on hate crime by the Arab American Institute in Washington that, using data from state law enforcement agencies, found that FBI numbers underreported incidents against Arab Americans. Levin said that undercounting of hate crimes remains a problem despite “improved reporting efficiencies” in recent years. “We are concerned not only about recent increases but underreporting in communities like Arab-Americans who may be less likely to interact with law enforcement because they are recent immigrants or foreign language speakers,” Levin said. Read the complete article at “Report: FBI vastly undercounts anti-Arab hate crimes.”
CSUSB hate crime study cited in column, ‘Why are there so many hateful people in the world?’Southern Chester County (Pa.) WeekliesJuly 22, 2018 Columnist Mike Cannatelli wrote: “In a report released by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, there was a 12 1/2 percent increase in incidents of hate crimes, as reported by police in 2017 in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, and San Jose California. “According to the May study about half the hate crimes committed last year in New York City were against Jews. Gay men were the largest target in LA, while in Boston, Blacks were the largest group hit by hate crimes.“The co-author of the report, Brian Levin, said he believes the increase in hate crimes, in the United States, relates to the greater incivility expressed in our national politics.” Read the complete article at “Why are there so many hateful people in the world?”
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