<p>A bit more context, direct from a brilliant MIT Physics Alumna: </p>
<p>“I personally have interacted with him several times for extended periods of time (hours) and it is clear that the pseudo-celebrity status of being on OCW has really gone to his head. By all accounts he was a vile human being long before OCW (just ask anyone in the astro division) but it seems that being celebrated for these videos has made him think that he is above basic human decency. People are equating taking down the videos to burning books, and that’s not at all an apt comparison. The videos are all over the internet and they are quite easy to find. Taking the videos down off of OCW is more analogous to a publishing house deciding not to print a book anymore to protect its brand. What’s more, I think MIT has an obligation to the victims of sexual harassment to take the videos down, both out of respect and for the purpose of maintaining OCW as a safe space for people to learn.”</p>