AHA Board Takes Decisive Action Regarding Lawrence Krauss Allegations

For Immediate Release

Contact: Amy Couch, 202-238-9088, acouch@americanhumanist.org

Theoretical physicist and prominent skeptic Lawrence Krauss has been accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct and harassment by women throughout the atheist, skeptic, and scientific communities. When a number of these allegations were made public in an article published by Buzzfeed in February, the American Humanist Association (AHA) issued a prompt statement of concern and support for the women who had come forward with their stories.

In response to the AHA’s recent promise not to ignore these allegations, the AHA Board of Directors has taken decisive action in terms of its future relationship with Krauss.

The AHA Board has voted to:

Remove Lawrence Krauss from the AHA pool of potential speakers, writers, or presenters
Place Lawrence Krauss’s 2015 Humanist of the Year Award in an administrative review status (during this time references and recognition will be removed until a formal process for consideration is developed and a determination is made)
Improve the AHA Humanist of the Year awardee selection process to have a more in-depth inquiry into potential candidates’ personal ethics, reputations, and actions to ensure they are in accordance with humanist values as AHA states them
Create a new addendum policy that stipulates those circumstances under which awards already given may be revoked

“It’s deeply disappointing when someone we’ve honored, and who regularly speaks to the world representing humanists everywhere, fails to meet our expectations. When a prominent humanist’s commitment to reason, compassion, and egalitarianism appears to be fundamentally compromised by his or her behavior, we must act on our disappointment to ensure that the world understands humanists at large don’t condone such misconduct,” said Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the AHA. “There was a time when nontheist organizations wouldn’t appropriately address unethical conduct of their leaders, seeming to prioritize outspoken secularism over all else. But I’m pleased that some progress is apparent with the nontheist movement waking up to the need to seek justice. The AHA redoubles its call to those in the secular community and beyond to treat each person as having inherent worth and dignity while embracing the basic concepts of egalitarianism and compassion for all.”