3/it includes sensitive personal information in the group. In fact, the group often has multiple messages about potential fascist security issues at medieval studies conferences to warn other potential vulnerable group members.Moderators sponsor members; It is not open to anyone.
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14/ We waited to see if we could work thru issues to bring her back into the group. However, we made the decision in Nov. that w/ her particular reaction, we would prioritize group safety & temporarily remove her w/ the possibility of her reintegration w/ further discussion.
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15/ This is something that is a regular practice in social activist circles as you can see in this thread from Tressie McCottom: https://twitter.com/tressiemcphd/status/1195751104505626625 ….
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16/ To contextualize further, other medieval FB groups that are private, rather than secret, have even more rigorous moderation models. Ex. the SMFS FB group has, b/c of multiple leaks that have led members to being a target of the white supremacists,
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17/ adopted a rigorous safety model that means mods. will remove members immediately w/out discussion.The Early Medieval English group, b/c of leaks that went to white supremacists, closed the group entirely & started from scratch to add members in order to control group safety.
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18/ All scholarly medieval FB groups have had to deal w/ (since 2016) their discussion & posts being used & weaponized by white supremacists. This has put group members at risk to being white supremacist targets.
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19/ Since our position is even more vulnerable, it is absolutely necessary that group safety measures be upheld. The secret FB group moderators have kept this quiet & not discussed it publicly in order to leave open the possibility of working through these issues w/ Abby
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20/ & bringing her back to the group. Unfortunately, we do not think that will happen now. Open, honest, &evidence-based discussion is important to academic intellectual life & antiracist activism. o is evidence-based, thoughtful, and honest critique.
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21/ But this cannot happen if various parties remove themselves from such discussions entirely (either b/c of a refusal to work honestly or b/c they have refused to discuss). The caveat here obviously being that I am not interested in having “discourse” with fascists.
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22/ But I would like to ask people to please consider the safety of members as the white supremacist fringe of our field & also in general are using this information to mount further violent attacks.We continue to keep the members' safety in the secret FB group our top priority.
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23/ This issue was brought to the scholarly activist org. Medievalists of Color when Abby or her advisor (I am not sure which) contacted a senior member of the Steering Committee and it was then brought to the rest of the committee in December.
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End of conversation
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