March 24, 2021
Dear Dr. Salovey:
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Santa Monica, CA and I’m writing to express my concern about how the “Goldwater Rule” was used to silence discussion of Donald Trump’s mental fitness to serve and to justify the termination of Dr. Bandy Lee from the faculty at Yale.
I have no doubt that you acted out of your need for integrity. My profession’s requirements and my own need for integrity lead me to warn a patient’s friends and family if I sense that he or she might be a danger to self or others. I also feel it’s my duty to educate the lay public about dangers of which they might not be aware; psychological dangers, dangers which can go unrecognized in a public official with the power to negatively affect their lives.
I am not a psychiatrist but my understanding is that the “Goldwater Rule” was intended only to regulate members of the American Psychiatric Association. As you probably know, an informal poll recently taken at the American College of Psychiatrists showed that a majority of psychiatrists don’t hold with the absoluteness of this rule. I know of no other governing body in the fields of psychology, social work, nor marriage and family therapy which has ever felt the need to establish such a rule.
The danger to the public at the hands of a president who alarmed so many mental health professionals back in 2016 has so thoroughly been confirmed by recent events that I find it frighteningly irresponsible of those mental health professionals who did NOT express concerns years ago. How else is our collective expertise to be utilized for the public good the way experts in other fields disseminate their perspectives through the media, writings, and public discussions?
A mental health expert need not affix a diagnostic label in order to warn of the dangerousness of a political figure. As far as I know, Dr. Lee never relied on diagnostic categories to define or explain Donald Trump, although many others of us did. She and her colleagues correctly predicted what someone with Trump’s observable behaviors and observable personality characteristics was likely to do, and how this could endanger our democratic republic.
Dr. Salovey, I’m sure you have your own concerns for our country and I don’t presume to know what they are. But my concern is that political authoritarians will manipulate the public using ‘gaslighting,’ polarizing tactics, and physical force in order to shatter the democratic structure of our republic. The January 6th attack on the Capitol and our elected officials is the latest example of these violent, authoritarian efforts.
There is a difference between someone who carelessly puts a public figure into a diagnostic category and a trained clinician who observes potentially dangerous behavior and tries to warn the public. I believe that those who spoke out, like Dr. Lee, did the public a great service. She didn’t speak about diagnostic categories; she spoke about observable behaviors and Trump’s dangerousness. It’s indisputable that Dr. Lee’s insights were correct … he was and still is, an authoritarian who poses a danger to democracy.
Dr. Lee will be welcomed elsewhere but she also deserves to be reinstated at Yale.
Most sincerely,
M.T., Ph.D.
March 25, 2021
Dear President Salovey (Peter):
I am very disturbed to learn that Yale has terminated Dr. Bandy X. Lee as a long time very active voluntary (clinical) faculty Professor, for what are described as ethics violations.
I am writing as a Yale Graduate (Med ’65), current long time full faculty member (Medicine, Immunology), Physician and Clinician.
I admit that am not a Psychiatrist and undoubtedly not aware of all of the details that led to this unfortunate choice by Yale.
I have long followed Dr. Lee’s thoughtful and morally unimpeachable efforts to point out the dangers of Mr. Trump’s mental condition for the office of President, rather than to make a diagnosis in the absence of an examination of the patient, while contrary to the accusation acting at the highest level of ethics.
This is now passed with the results of the November 2020 election.
It seems that the issue at hand is the so called “group psychosis” Dr. Lee describes among millions of ill-informed supporters that led to the storming of the Capitol on January 5th and to many dangerous possibilities that persist. Note that just yesterday a Trump lawyer admitted in court to blatantly and repetitively lying about the “stolen election”.
In this effort pertaining to the “group psychosis” Dr. Lee is educating all of us on how to deal in a very gentle, thoughtful and non-partisan manner with this very significant and complex public health problem, as a physician.
For the venal Dershowitz to take her generalization so personally, to strongly recommend that Yale discipline her, is to give in to the mental aberration of such a self-absorbed overly public figure.
I do not think that her efforts to help us deal with the “group psychosis” constitute a violation of the “Goldwater Rule.” Her questioning of this so called rule, that not everyone agrees on; like many rules, is the sort of thing that happens every day at Yale when faculty assert and publish differences with the rules and conventions of their fields, and sometimes of consequent societies, as new discoveries are made, and veritas is sought.
I ask for full disclosure of all of the issues that led to this dismissal of such an exemplary Professor (i.e. teacher) who in her work surely exemplifies “Lux et Veritas” (shining the light on the dark) as Dr. Lee has been doing, or to a rapid reversal of this unfortunate decision.
To knock back the marvelous efforts of Dr. Bandy Lee is not the Yale I have known of Kingman Brewster who welcomed the Black Panthers to the Campus in 1980, or the Yale of Nathan Hale who in 1776 said he “regretted having but one life to live for his country.”
Warmly,
P.A., M.D.
March 25, 2021
Dear YDN:
Thank you for the clear and complete article about Bandy Lee’s MED ’94 DIV ’95 lawsuit against Yale University for unlawful termination of employment and related torts. If the allegations in the complaint are proven to be accurate, then Yale should consider changing its motto from Lux et Veritas to Arbitrium et Levis (Arbitrary and Capricious).
The allegations directly connect in a short causal chain a letter to Yale from Mr. Alan Dershowitz LAW ’62, demanding that Ms. Lee be punished for her remarks about him to the contemporaneous unjustified termination of Ms. Lee by Yale. Note that this is the same Alan Dershowitz who recounts an incident from his prep school days thusly: “I was a rebellious student, often criticized by my teachers who told me to do something that requires a big mouth and no brain … so I became a lawyer.”
As the complaint notes, the serial excuses for her termination provided by Yale’s administration are inconsistent. They are also contrary to Yale’s written policy of protecting freedom of expression. To call the excuses “feeble” is an immense understatement.
I am surprised that Ms. Lee has not simultaneously sued Mr. Dershowitz for his tortious interference with her employment contract under applicable Connecticut state law. It’s clear that his conduct meets all the statutory requirements for this tort.
Perhaps Ms. Lee could also productively include in her complaint the following statement, proclamation and pledge made by the University’s president, Peter Salovey, back in 2015—a pledge he has repeated over time:
“We begin this work [making Yale more inclusive and diverse] by laying to rest the claim that it conflicts with our commitment to free speech, which is unshakeable. The very purpose of our gathering together into a university community is to engage in teaching, learning, and research—to study and think together, sometimes to argue with and challenge one another, even at the risk of discord, but always to take care to preserve our ability to learn from one another.”
J.L. (Yale ’66)
March 25, 2021
Dear Dr. Krystal:
We write to you concerned about the publicly available information about the firing of our colleague, Dr. Bandy Lee. Our specific concern is with the report that she was fired in part for purportedly violating the Goldwater Rule. It is this connection to the Goldwater Rule that is deeply problematic.
Reliance on Dr. Lee’s violation of this rule would reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the evolution of psychiatric ethics since 1973, when that rule was established by the American Psychiatric Association and an abdication of the academy to set its own standards for conduct, rather than importing those of arguably self-serving professional guilds.
We rely on the report in the Yale Daily News (March 23, 2021) that quoted your letter terminating Dr. Lee as follows:
“Although the committee does not doubt that you are acting on the basis of your personal moral code,” the letter read, “your repeated violations of the APA’s Goldwater Rule and your inappropriate transfer of the duty to warn from the treatment setting to national politics raised significant doubts about your understanding of crucial ethical and legal principles in psychiatry.”
In the opinion of many prominent mental health professionals, the Goldwater Rule arose to protect the image of the psychiatric profession in the wake of its humiliation after the successful lawsuit initiated by Barry Goldwater against Fact magazine (Martin-Joy, J., Diagnosing from a Distance: Debates over Libel Law, Media, and Psychiatric Ethics from Barry Goldwater to Donald Trump, Cambridge University Press, New York, 2020).
The validity of the Goldwater Rule has been widely disputed: many professionals consider it a scientifically untenable privileging of corporate psychiatry’s interests over individual psychiatrists’ rights of free speech and expressions of conscience (Lilienfeld, S., Miller, J., Lynam, D., The Goldwater Rule, Perspectives From, and Implications for, Psychological Science, Perspect Psychol Sci . 2018 Jan;13(1):3-27. doi: 10.1177/1745691617727864. Epub 2017 Oct 12; Post, J., Narcissism and Politics: Dreams of Glory, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2015; Pouncey, C., President Trump’s Mental Health-Is It Morally Permissible for Psychiatrists to Comment?, New England Journal of Medicine 2018, 378 (5), pp. 405-407).
Additionally, the APA’s 2017 restatement of the Goldwater Rule broadened its wording to proscribe apparently any discussion by psychiatrists and, by extension, other mental health professionals, not only of putative diagnoses but of the psychology and behavior of public figures. This colonizing of scholarly discourse by the APA flies in the face of academic traditions of inquiry.
Given the spectrum of conscientiously held views of the Goldwater Rule and the thoughtful attempts to reform and update it (Begley, S. Psychiatrists Urge Rollback of Goldwater Rule, STAT News, 6/28/18), it would be highly improper to terminate Dr. Lee’s association based on this antiquated and widely disputed rule of a professional association of which she has not been a member for fourteen years.
Further, Dr. Lee’s profound contributions to the field (Lee, B. editor. The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump; St. Martin’s Press, 2017, p. 83-93) would have been impossible if she allowed herself to be gagged by the Goldwater Rule. Bearing in mind that the 37 contributors to this book which Dr. Lee edited include many scholars and international exemplars of psychiatric ethics, we wonder if they too would be terminated were they to be members of your department.
Universities need to articulate their own criteria for judging appointments and reappointments, for quality of scholarship and for ethical conduct within and outside their walls. They cannot do that in a way that is faithful to the academic mission if they appropriate standards developed by professional organizations that, with all their many worthy purposes, are nevertheless highly influenced by protection of their professions, not the academy, and which, as documented in the case of the APA, are compromised by commercial interests. Using the APA Goldwater Rule as a basis for terminating Dr. Lee is an embarrassment to Yale and an affront to universities and academics everywhere.
We await your response acknowledging that compliance with the Goldwater Rule is not an appropriate basis for the termination of appointment of any academic professional.
L.G., M.D., M.P.H.; E.F., Ph.D.; L.D., M.D.; P.Z., Ph.D.; S.W., M.D.; J.G., Ph.D.; M.T., Ph.D.
March 26, 2021
Dr. Salovey:
We are a group of licensed psychologists and social workers in Connecticut who have specific interest in, concern for, and dedication to exploring issues of social justice as they interface with psychoanalytic and psychodynamic thinking and practice. We are writing to express our concern over the termination of Dr. Bandy Lee from the faculty at Yale.
The threat to Americans, specifically people of color and immigrants, at the hands of the former president alarmed many mental health professionals back in 2016 has been confirmed repeatedly over the past 5 years. We’ve seen it on a national level, in our communities and in our offices.
We are firm in the knowledge that our profession is rooted in the deep understanding of human suffering. Therefore, we have a responsibility to intervene with the social patterns that cause it. This is what Dr. Lee has been using her knowledge, education, and expertise to do. We fully support her.
She has been an integral voice speaking on behalf of our nation’s suffering. She does not stand alone, but with the support of thousands of her colleagues. As a public figure who has published almost 300 op-eds in outlets such as The Guardian, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Independent, and Politico, as well as being a regular contributor to CNN and MSNBC, she has been a voice of integrity and hope for America.
We are at an important point in our nation and own community’s story where silence equals assent. Please reconsider your decision and welcome Dr. Lee back into the Yale community. She will be welcomed with open arms elsewhere but she is an asset to ours.
Sincerely,
M.A., LMFT; C.C., LCSW; M.D., Psy.D.; D.D., Psy.D.; R.M., Psy.D.; E.N., Ph.D.; S.W., LCSW; N.Z., LCSW
March 26, 2021
Dear Professor Salovey:
I am writing to you on behalf of my colleague, Bandy Lee, MD, a longtime professor of forensic psychiatry at Yale, who has recently been removed from her academic post related to matters connected to the so-called Goldwater Rule of the American Psychiatric Association.
I am hereby writing a letter of support for Dr. Lee connected to her appeal of her removal.
First, let me state that I trained in psychiatry at Yale and later trained in forensic psychiatry there as well. I then completed a fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital in child and adolescent psychiatry and during those years authored a book entitled The Birth of Neurosis, Myth, Malady, and the Victorians, published by Simon & Schuster. The book itself is deeply rooted in the project of perceiving psychiatric ideas through the prism of intellectual and cultural history and also the concept of applying psychiatric expertise in the manner of psychohistory. (I include this information simply because I perceive that much of what Dr. Lee has offered the country about Donald Trump and his followers is best perceived not as diagnosis but rather as contemporary history commentary.)
In early 2017 after Mr. Trump was inaugurated, I myself wrote an article published online in Psychology Today entitled “Is Donald Truly Delusional?” I had watched and re-watched an interview of him by John Muir of ABC. I was struck at how delusional Mr. Trump seemed to be in the clinical sense during this interview. (I could send a copy of the article if necessary.) As I was aware of the Goldwater rule, I consulted with an attorney who thought the rule was too vague as it applied to the situation at hand. I only offered provisional ideas and did not see myself as presenting a diagnosis without an actual interview, but only offered recommendations about how such an interview might move. This article was written long before Dr. Lee waded into this troubling subject of our having as a nation a rather disturbed individual as our president.
I have read two of her books, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, and Trump’s Mind, America’s Soul. Her ideas and those of her co-authors carried the idea of Mr. Trump’s incompetence to be president much beyond anything that I had published in 2017. I might add that if the ideas expressed in these books had been heeded, then perhaps Mr. Trump would have been removed as president and hundreds of thousands of Americans would not have been felled by Covid. Dr. Lee presciently argued in these books that regardless of how one clinically diagnoses Mr. Trump, he was both incompetent to be president and dangerous to others.
In regard to her usage of the term shared psychosis to describe his followers, including I understand Alan Dershowitz, I would contend that she has used this term not as diagnosis but rather as a cultural descriptor of the manner in which many followers seemed to follow him rather blindly and self-destructively. See the events of January 6th as a manifestation.
I tend to favor the term cult to capture the concept of shared psychosis. Please refer to the writings of Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer and Steven Hassan on this matter. Let me restate that this is not a matter of diagnosis but rather of work in the realm of the social sciences. Since Dr. Lee has been both a professor of psychiatry and of the law as well as active primarily in public health, she naturally straddles the fence between psychiatric formulation and social assessment, if you will.
Regardless, it does appear that many of Mr. Trump’s followers have entered into a state of failing to see reality clearly, and this disturbing phenomenon has led to many unnnecessary deaths.
As a graduate of both the psychiatry and forensic psychiatry programs at Yale, a dedicated psychiatrist living in Portland, Oregon, and an American citizen, I contend that Dr. Lee has offered much to America and to Yale, and her academic position should be restored.
Respectfully,
G.D., M.D.
March 26, 2021
Dear Dr. Krystal (cc: President Peter Salovey; Nancy Brown, MD):
I hesitate to write you and thereby insert myself into an employment / appointment dispute between you, your Department, the Medical School, Yale and Bandy Lee, MD.
I had written Dr. Lee, out of the blue, several years back to express my admiration for her published symposium The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. We had then had the good fortune to meet at the opening of my photographic exhibit at Yale’s Whitney Humanities Center, Trapped in the Middle: The Effect of Income Inequality on the Middle Class in America, January–June 2018. She and I subsequently (based on my interest in income inequality studies) co-published an article on the interplay of income inequality and societal violence in Psychology Today.
I was, to be honest, shocked to learn this week from the Yale Daily News that she had been dismissed from the Department of Psychiatry and had initiated an employment lawsuit against the University for wrongful termination.
This is particularly disturbing to me since part of the justification for her termination involved the American Psychiatric Association’s Goldwater rule and also the Tarasoff case in California.
I feel very strongly that the Goldwater rule is an artefact of a different age and stage. When a President of the United States can present his stream of consciousness via constant electronic tweets over the Internet for years, one has ample evidence to assess his behavior and rationality. Dr. Lee was not treating Donald Trump or ever claiming to treat him. She was simply raising broad societal concerns.
Decades back, I recall suspecting President Reagan of incipient dementia, several years before the diagnosis, simply on the basis of his press conferences. In those situations, he would take multiple questions from the press, forget the first, answer the second … and cover up the fact that he had no recollection of what had been asked. Classic for an early dementia. That was long before the Internet permitted one’s mental wash to hang out for all to see and hear. But it was evident to any trained neurologist that he was dementing and covering up … though not well enough.
Furthermore, to say that a psychiatrist who is not a member of the APA is bound by the rules of the APA is nonsensical. I am board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and have patients with conditions that are neuropsychiatric. Does that mean that I am bound by the rules of the APA? Clearly not. Anymore that I am bound by the rules of American Academy of Neurology … of which I ceased being a member years back for valid reasons.
A decade from now, even next year, books will appear written by historians raising all of these issues. Some of those historians may well be at Yale. Will the APA claim that those Yale historians are violating the Goldwater rule? Will Yale have to fire its historians?
I hope that Yale can finally take a rational stand, in a quiet way, against the frankly outmoded and troglodytic behavior of the APA. Beyond that, silencing speech and kowtowing to threats from an aging Alan Dershowitz is something that Yale must not do. Between his rants on a recent BBC Hardtalk program and his well-documented involvement in lobbying and bribery to obtain pardons from ex-President Trump, Dershowitz discredits and discounts whatever skills he formerly had. Neither Yale nor any other entity should dignify his behavior with respect or fear. Many at Harvard gaze off into the distance with disdain when his pronouncements issue forth.
I do hope that calmer minds will prevail now, at Yale. All involved in this matter must gather for a truly confidential discussion: you, Dr. Lee, Dr. Brown, representatives from the President’s office, Dr. Lee’s attorney, to consider differences, respect differences and overcome those differences.
Dr. Lee’s voice should be a proud one at Yale, part of the intellectual diversity that distinguishes the University. This discussion must begin soon, before legal hackles are raised any further and before this proceeds any further in public view.
Yale needs bright and committed people on its faculty, not rules followers who ask no questions. That is not Yale, never was the Yale that I knew, and should never be a part of Yale in the future.
Yours truly,
J.F., M.D.
March 27, 2021
I am writing in support of Dr. Bandy Lee. Dr. Lee has been a valuable colleague and role model for the past year. Her effort and leadership have been instrumental in educating the public and facilitating a scientifically-grounded conversation about the potential dangerousness of the 45th President.
I would like to emphasize that her behavior meets the highest standards of ethics and responsibility. I am not referring to the content of her findings (although that content is generated from measured, objective observations and linked to empirically-supported constructs of psychopathology), but to, in my opinion, the unimpeachable manner in which she has provided leadership to so many in the mental health field and beyond.
She has acted in accordance with the “duty to warn” principle which compels mental health professionals to consider speaking out when they perceive an individual with psychological disturbance might be a threat to the community.
Even though Dr. Lee never formally diagnosed the former President, l would like to point out that recent scientific critiques have clearly demonstrated that the Goldwater Rule is antiquated. There are a number of diagnoses (including the ones that are relevant to Mr. Trump) that do not require a clinical interview, particularly when there is a wealth of information from archival sources and other informants. Indeed, the clinical interview – with certain personality disturbances – actually compromises the diagnostic process.
Thank you for your consideration,
V.G., Ph.D.
March 27, 2021
To the Editor of the New York Times (unpublished):
In 2017 “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump” edited by Dr Bandy Lee evoked considerable controversy in the psychiatric profession. Can comments about the mental health of an individual be offered without an actual mental health examination? It was noted that many other medical specialists, cardiologists and oncologists for example, freely comment on medical issues without such a restriction. The “dangers” discussed in retrospect were not only accurate but paled in comparison to the damage the Trump presidency unleashed. He flaunted all of our institutions, bullied members of the press, especially women of color, undercut scientists so that thousands died because of his lack of leadership in the pandemic, insisted upon frivolous costly law suits to challenge his election defeat, and used the pulpit of his rallies to incite violence and bloodshed that reached our highest chambers. A layman with no psychiatric expertise could identify and label behaviors that would not be tolerated in any other role.
Prof. Dershowitz is free to defend any client he chooses, publicize his personal marital life and take offense at a tweet. The Yale Dept. of Psychiatry is free to dismiss any faculty member under the umbrella of confidentiality. But to suggest that the courageous Dr. Bandy Lee behaved without ethics or would be an improper role model to teach students within and beyond psychiatry is ludicrous. We owe her our gratitude for she courageously and valiantly tried to educate the public to warn us of disaster, danger, and unfitness that has stained the soul of this nation.
S.M., LCSW
March 28, 2021
Dear Dr. Salovey:
The fact that Dr. Bandy Lee has been fired because of Alan Dershowitz or even worse, because of Yale’s own reasoning is abhorrent and extremely harmful to Yale’s once excellent reputation.
Alan Dershowitz should be fired for his poisonous opinions and his bordering on senile ranting.
Sincerely,
J.H., M.D.
March 28, 2021
Dear President Salovey:
I was sad to see that Dr. Bandy X. Lee had been discharged from her responsibilities at Yale University over alleged breaches of the Goldwater Rule. To me, this action is reflective of a field of medicine that is relentlessly boxing itself into dead end pursuits. Psychiatrist Daniel Carlat reported years ago in his book, Unhinged, that young doctors were not choosing to specialize in psychiatry. Without interrogating those who have been opting out, my hunch would be that such choices may suggest a latent recognition of major dishonesties that practitioners do not, themselves, recognize. Bob Whitaker has tried to explore these from a journalistic perspective. Gary Greenberg has labored for an in depth understanding of psychiatry’s direction in his treatise, The Book of Woe. Leading psychiatrist Allen Frances has offered up a title that, to me, is fraught with irony: In our society where, I believe, a psychiatric paradigm predominates, Frances opines we have entered into The Twilight of American Sanity. Doctors such as Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, with his book, Bedlam, are haunted with the experience of their own family members who have endured serious, protracted experiences of mental disturbance. “They lack insight!” declares psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey, in advocating for the use of more force against fragile people. Meanwhile, I am wondering how many of those living in the most makeshift of conditions, near the railroad tracks, under bridges, or in the woods, may be choosing such a wretched subsistence in a silent veto of the species of psychiatric treatment society would enforce upon them.
In my brief inquiries online, my impression is that there has been a concerted campaign to hang the Goldwater Rule around Dr. Lee’s neck. I would see her as having been subject to relentless attack by parties who would shoot her down. The coup de grace may have come with a letter to Yale from Law School alumnus Alan Dershowitz, with his claim that Dr. Lee had diagnosed him without examining him. This claim, and the whole campaign to destroy Dr. Lee, appears to me to rest upon a failure to fairly understand what is her contribution to her field. Dr. Lee explores very different clinical questions than are of interest, for example, to biological psychiatrist Jeffrey Lieberman. The nay-sayers are implicitly saying these other questions do not count; and they appear to me to do so coming from a cultural perspective that is unhealthful. I believe that Dr. Lieberman and his friends would say amongst themselves that because Dr. Lee is a proud graduate of Yale’s Divinity School, she is a Christian and must therefore be a Nazi doctor. In actuality, I opine that Dr. Lee is among a perhaps small but important group of clinicians who would explore such aberrant societal phenomena as Nazism from a psychological perspective, in an effort to obstruct and prevent their harms.
As presented in an online publication called “Reason,” I believe that Dr. Lee’s comment that stimulated Prof. Dershowitz’s letter was entirely consistent with the trend of that inquiry. I understand Dr. Lee holds, as I do, that Donald John Trump, Senior is “sick” and that, in some sense, his sickness must extend to those who have allied with and enabled him. Professor Dershowitz, as a Jew, must surely find it discomfiting to experience being bracketed together, even loosely, with Nazis.
Now, I am not myself a clinician, and so Professor Dershowitz cannot attack me for making armchair diagnoses of him. I would note that this man is the author of quite a few books. In the last one I tried to read, I observed that he was maligning The Women Of New York, apparently for seducing good and innocent Hasidic immigrant men who, thereupon, forsook the good Hasidic wives they had left behind in Poland. Perhaps Mr. Dershowitz has personal knowledge of such happenings. It did seem to me he painted with a very broad brush, and I did not find myself obligated to read further.
Mr. Dershowitz is full of complaints of his experience as a student at Yale Law School, where he obtained an education that provided much of the foundation for his career success. As I try to read the man, I see him as carrying a great deal of inner trauma. I wonder, what might be the roots of such trauma? Transitioning from Hasidic culture into functioning in a more secular milieu may have been quite difficult. Being a scion of communities that saw so much wanton, mindless harm as Jews suffered in the toxic synergy between Stalin and Hitler must surely be to carry the burden of a legacy of pain. There is, in my view, also the possibility that Mr. Dershowitz bears the trauma of having inflicted trauma upon his own first wife. Their neighbors were afraid to intercede in the marital abuse because they believed Mr. Dershowitz would sue them. After Mr. Dershowitz successfully deprived this woman of access to her own children, she took her life. This is history Professor Dershowitz must try to conceal from everyone; but I would imagine that, as he strives to hide it, he still carries it within him.
I would expect Dr. Lee has known nothing at all of any of this. I would, personally, consider that, in his complaint to Yale University that she violated the Goldwater Rule, Professor Dershowitz exhibited the same quality of behavior that stimulated fear in those neighbors who failed to step in to protect his first wife from harm. My perception would be that when Professor Dershowitz feels uncomfortable inside, his remedy for that is to attack what he finds to be the stimulus for his discomfort. Professor Dershowitz is happy to do his utmost to destroy Dr. Lee’s career, and the fruitful line of inquiry she pursues, in an effort to increase his own sense of emotional security. And then he wonders why the people he encounters in his summer vacations do not appear happy to meet him.
In my day as a student at Yale Divinity School, Professor Tom Brown’s syllabus included a book entitled The Fragile Alliance. With such a personage as Donald John Trump, Senior, Dr. Allen Frances could find no empathic connection whatsoever. However, even with such a deeply damaged individual as I perceive Mr. Trump to be, I would consider the duty of medicine is to try to heal.
Respectfully,
M. H. (YDS, ’81; BDS, ’86)
March 29, 2021
Peter Salovey:
I am writing as an alumnus of Yale Medical School (’72) to express my profound disappointment and shock to hear that Dr. Bandy Lee’s appointment in the Dept. of Psychiatry was not renewed in part as a result of a complaint filed by Alan Dershowitz. There is a great debate among psychiatrists about the attempt by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to prevent psychiatrists from commenting about the mental health of public figures. This is far from being a resolved issue. The comments by Dr. Krystal (in his letter to Dr. Lee) that the duty to warn about dangerousness applies only to a treatment relationship has become more controversial as a result of public health concerns about the risk of violence. Furthermore, concerns about the dangers of nuclear weapons use by impaired presidents call for a more nuanced standard. Virtual visits now widespread have expanded the notion of assessment allowing assessment by verbal communication without visual observation. Additionally, public figures provide ample opportunity for verbal assessment. Furthermore, public comments about a president’s health are commonplace among medical doctors who have not examined the patient. Why are psychiatrists held to a different standard?
Moreover, Dr. Lee never specifically used a Diagnostic Specific Manual (DSM) diagnosis to label either Trump or Dershowitz, but rather talked about behavioral concerns. Her research on public health concerns about the threat of contagion of psychiatric symptoms to the public from prominent elected officials is widely respected and certainly relevant here, particularly as discussions about the problems with implementation of the 25th amendment are examined. A prominent psychiatrist who criticized Dr. Lee in the New York Times (3/26/21) himself raised the possibility of a diagnosis of dementia for Trump in a 2017 article based on changes in speech and other public manifestations without ever examining Trump. Yet he was never disciplined by the APA. Is this an example of systemic racism by the APA with white men critiquing an Asian American woman but never white male colleagues?
In summary, Yale has an obligation to promote free speech and academic freedom and has no responsibility to enforce a highly controversial rule of the American Psychiatric Association. Yale’s argument about her capacity to teach is equally mistaken since the ethics of her position is subject to current debate and Yale has an obligation to allow faculty to engage in open debate with students about an issue of such great importance for the future of democracy. I strongly urge Yale to renew Dr Lee’s appointment and support the open debate and discussion with conferences and seminars about the appropriate role of psychiatry vis a vis the mental health of elected officials. Furthermore, we need better guidelines for implementation of the 25th Amendment, recognizing the gray areas and nuances of this process. Many prominent psychiatrists have called for review of the Goldwater rule and Yale can play a constructive role in supporting this debate. Until then, I will encourage my classmates, alumni and trustees to withhold financial contributions to Yale. The future of our democracy may be at stake.
M.Y., M.D. (YMS ’72)
March 30, 2021
Dear President Salovey:
I have been distressed to learn of the summary dismissal of Dr. Bandy X. Lee by Yale University. As I hold her in the highest respect as a scholar and as a person, the arbitrary and sudden firing—apparently sparked by a message from Alan Dershowitz that preceded it by four days—raises the most serious questions of your institution’s observance of the principles that are the foundation stones for the American University. Freedom of speech and due process regarding alleged transgressions being foremost among them. Frankly, I should have expected better from Yale University and from you personally acting as its administrative agent. Reputations take a long time to acquire; they are too easily tarnished by reckless action of supposedly responsible parties.
Allegations of unprofessional behavior, in particular, strike a false note. I, along with colleagues in academia, consistently been impressed by her equanimity and civil mode of address even when engaged in exchanges on matters heavily freighted with emotion. This contrasts with many other academics whose scholarly restraint, intellectual and emotion, tends to dissolve under the stress of public debate. This is a commendable trait that I personally have observed on numerous occasions. Although she is strongly admonished in official Yale communications for alleged inappropriate language, I never have seen or heard express herself with the vehemence and manifest hostility contained in correspondence from senior Yale officers.
As to Dr. Bandy Lee’s contribution to the discourse om the study of psychopathology and participation in the civic arena, there is ample evidence that she at once elevated the intellectual level of that discourse and clarified the difficult issues of professional engagement i raises. In this respect, her conduct conforms to the norms that form an “ethic of responsibility” first delineated by Max Weber a century ago. That is a standard that all of us in academia should aspire to in these turbulent times when pressures of various sorts, from diverse sources, weight upon us.
I know of many colleagues, in different disciples, who would welcome Dr. lee as a colleague for these very reasons—whether they fully agree with her assessments or conclusion on the issues at hand or not. These are conscientious people who would view her as an asset to their school in spirit as well as in the performance of individual academic duties.
The upright and brave get too little reward in today’s American university. It is highly regrettable that Bandy Lee is now learning that truth by receiving punishment instead.
Yours sincerely,
M.B., Ph.D.
March 31, 2021
To: John Krystal, MD, Chair, Yale Department of Psychiatry (with cc to Karen Peart, Director, University Media Relations, Yale University):
I am writing in support of Dr Bandy Lee, whom I know from her writings and her appearance on my cable access television show and podcast, Prescription for Justice, which airs sixty times per month in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area and in markets in 13 other states and D.C. I am also the author of Public Health and Social Justice (Jossey Bass, Wiley, 2013) and run the Public Health and Social Justice website, and have written extensively about public health social justice, medical ethics, and medical humanities, in addition to lecturing nationally and internationally.
Dr Lee has not asked me to write this letter, I have not communicated with her about her dismissal (which I heard about through the Spirit of 1848 listserv of the American Public Health Association), and I have not discussed her lawsuit with her, but I do intend to copy this letter to her, as a sign of support, after I email it to you, and to share it with my colleagues on the aforementioned listserv.
I am particularly troubled by possibility that Dr Lee was let go for “diagnosing” a public figure; indeed, in what I know of her writings and my interaction with her, she has stated specifically that she is not performing a formal “diagnosis.”
More troubling is the following quote attributed to you from the NYT: “You [Dr Lee] did not make these statements as a layperson offering a political judgment; you made them explicitly in your professional capacity as a psychiatrist and on the basis of your psychiatric knowledge and judgment,” Dr. Krystal wrote, according to the lawsuit. “For that reason, the committee decided it was appropriate to consider how these statements reflected your ability to teach trainees.”
Donald Trump was an absolutely disastrous president for public health in America, indeed the world (both before and during the coronavirus epidemic, where estimates are that his incompetence, anti-science attitude, divisive racism, and petulant policy making resulting from personal vendettas contributed to the unnecessary suffering and deaths of hundreds of thousands; other estimates show that his anti-environmental policies also increased the U.S. death toll by tens of thousands).
Physicians have an obligation to speak out regarding matters of public health, especially when public figures are displaying classical psychopathological traits and even admit to committing crimes (e.g., as Trump did when acknowledging sexually assaulting women) and when their behavior puts lives and health at risk, even the fabric of our democratic society through support of a deadly insurrection against our elected representatives and those guarding our nation’s capital. This obligation is absolutely critical and should be considered an obligation to the world and all its human and non-human inhabitants when that public figure has control of an arsenal of nuclear weapons that could wipe out all of humanity.
Historically, when physicians have not spoken out about abuses of power, this has facilitated despotic actions that have put the public’s health and human rights at risk.
If anything, Dr Lee deserves an award for her courage. She is exactly the kind of person that should be teaching medical trainees, especially at a time when there is increasing focus on social determinants of health (damaged on many levels by Trump), racism, and violence (fueled by Trump’s rhetoric and actions).
If Yale’s School of Medicine and its Department of Psychiatry are committed to public health, oppose violence and racism, and are committed to teaching medical students and residents attuned to the social determinants of health, then an apology and a debt of gratitude are owed to Dr Lee, along with reinstatement. We need more doctors with the extensive track record of service to the medical profession (which goes well beyond her comments regarding the former president), especially ones willing to advocate (even at their own risk) for those whose voices are drowned out by the powerful message of dangerous demagogues.
Sincerely,
M.D., M.D.
April 4, 2021
Many conclusions about Trump are possible from hundreds of hours of unscripted video—one can reasonably diagnose:
*dementia
*inebriation from alcohol or tranquilizers
*manic confabulations
*paranoid delusions
*paucity of vocabulary
*delusions of grandeur
A psychiatrist does not normally touch a patient, so closeness of contact is irrelevant—a blind psychiatrist can have an unfettered practice.
When I discovered Professor Bandy Lee’s book & website I was proud of Yale Medical School—quite the opposite now.
D.B., M.D. (Yale ’63)
April 7, 2021
To Whom It May Concern:
Missing from the usual defenses of the “Goldwater Rule” is mention of the March 2017 Opinion of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Committee on Ethics, which significantly expanded the definition of “professional opinion” such that it’s almost impossible for a psychiatrist to make any meaningful statement about the behavior of a public figure without running the risk of violating the Goldwater Rule. The definition declares that “when a psychiatrist renders an opinion about the “affect, behavior, speech, or other presentation of an individual that draws on the skills, training, expertise, and/or knowledge inherent in the practice of psychiatry, the opinion is a professional one.” This assertion is highly problematic: terms such as affect, behavior, speech, etc, while essential descriptors of a psychiatric history and mental status, are far from unique to psychiatry. Psychiatrists, as citizens, typically have multiple roles besides clinician (e.g., supervisor, professor, medical manager, parent, spouse, government office holder or member of community organizations, advocacy groups or faith communities).
The March 2017 Ethics Committee Opinion also asserts the Goldwater Rule does not violate the 1st Amendment Right to free speech and that individual psychiatrists can speak out as private citizens, but this is problematic as well. We do not “stop being a psychiatrist” simply by stipulating that we are speaking as private citizens, and we can’t easily exclude our professional expertise from our personal opinions. Nor is it possible, for an outside entity (such as ethics committee investigating an ethics complaint) to determine to what extent one is drawing on psychiatric training rather than from some other perspective.
I am also concerned about the overuse by APA leaders of the phrase “weaponizing psychiatry” and “the use of psychiatry as a political tool,” at least when used to compare individual psychiatrists—who speak out as a matter of conscience against a divisive, authoritarian U.S. president who incited violence and insurrection—with oppressive, authoritarian governments in other countries which routinely “weaponize mental health” for political purposes. Recall that the Goldwater Rule is one of the “annotations”, in this case to Section 7 of the AMA Code of Ethics which calls on physicians to “participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health.” Further, the Forward to the APA Code of Ethics notes that “the annotations are not designed as absolutes and will be revised from time to time….”
Few of us want a recurrence of the embarrassing debacle of 1964 when a minority of surveyed psychiatrist recklessly rendered diagnoses and formulations about a presidential candidate leading, 9 years later, to establishment of the Goldwater Rule. Those professional opinions were based on a tiny fraction of the data now available on public figures and repeated defenses of the 47 year old professional guideline to the neglect of other, more crucial ethical principles, may have enabled the chaos and degradation of our democratic system of governance. Donald Trump Is out of office but many public figures continue to promote the dangerous falsehoods that led to the horrific January 6th assault and also embrace other dangerous conspiracies which threaten our public health and security. These times urgently call on us to clarify situations in which psychiatrist can and should make public statements about public figures.
J.F., M.D.
Board Certified Psychiatrist
Life Member, American Psychiatric Association
April 10,2021
Dear Dr. Peter Salovey:
I am writing you in your capacity as President of Yale University in response to learning that Dr. Bandy Lee has lost her clinical academic appointment at Yale. The New York Times reports that Dr. Krystal, the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry, wrote to Dr. Lee in an email: ‘Is this the sort of person that I can trust to teach medical students, residents, and forensic psychiatry fellows?’
It is simply incomprehensible to me—and an outrage—that anyone who knows Dr. Lee would question whether she is trustworthy. If anything, Dr. Lee is a role model for how a psychiatrist balances her ethical and moral responsibilities in the public sphere with the need to refrain from diagnosing a public figure. She has taken on the Goldwater Rule—a rule deemed anachronistic by many academics emanating from the days when positing psychoanalytic unconscious conflicts was rightly seen as ‘wild analysis.’ This is not Dr. Lee. I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Lee at the invitation of Dr. Richard Friedman, the former editor of Psychodynamic Psychiatry [Sandberg, L.S. (2018). Interview with Bandy Lee. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 46(3):335-355]. Dr. Lee’s deeply reasoned articulation of the ethical and moral role of the psychiatrist in society should be required reading for medical students, residents and fellows.
Dr. Lee should be acknowledged for her bravery and coverage. She has faced withering attacks within organized psychiatry and the culture at large. Dr. Lee will persevere whether at Yale or elsewhere. I implore you to examine her situation, support her academic freedom, and celebrate the presence of a powerful contrarian voice rather than silence her.
Respectfully,
L.S., M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Weill Cornell Medical Center
April 11,2021
Dear Dr. Salovey:
I am a private practice psychiatrist, writer, compassion educator and Distinguished Fellow of the APA in San Francisco. From 2017-2020, I organized panels on Narcissism in the American Psyche for the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meetings, including Drs. Glen Gabbard, Jean Twenge, and Dacher Keltner, discussing both clinical and cultural manifestations of narcissism. These were welcomed and extremely well attended at the Annual Meeting. I mention this because the campaign and presidency of Donald J. Trump have been extraordinary, divisive and even dismembering pressures on this country, and many people have been extremely alarmed by the dangerous forces unleashed by his rhetoric, personality and leadership, among them psychiatrists and leaders including Dr. Bandy X. Lee.
Any casual glance at American and human history shows that compassion and common humanity are central to our social well-being, growth, and cultural progress. As an Asian American, I have been further alarmed by the prior president and ruling party’s rhetoric simplistically blaming China for COVID-19, which has amplified anti-Asian hate and given license to extremely anti-social forces. As you must be well aware, there have been almost 4,000 reported verbal and physical hate incidents against Asian Americans in the last year, a 150% increase in hate crimes in urban centers, and so far at least 14 murders and police killings by my count since December that seem in part motivated by racist bias. We cannot be in avoidance, denial or dismissal of these conditions, nor should we allow overwhelm to close off options for healing and reparation.
At this time especially, Yale’s support of prominent Asian American voices like Dr. Lee are critical. Thus, her termination works against Yale’s stated solidarity with equity and diversity goals. Equity and diversity have clearly run counter to the previous administration’s impact on society. It’s only natural that those most impacted by President Trump’s leadership would voice dissent and concern. Dr. Lee, as an Asian American woman, has been an inspiring figure for me and many others, as she provided her professional, cogent, culturally-informed, responsible voice to the credible dangers posed by the presidency of Donald J. Trump.
My understanding is that you terminated Dr. Lee from her voluntary (clinical) faculty role because of concerns about the “Goldwater rule” and the ethics of psychiatrically-informed commentary on public figures. First of all, the Goldwater rule is a rule of the APA membership, and does not apply to all psychiatrists. Second, the rule has been hotly debated within the APA over the last 5 years. Drs. Jerome Kroll and Claire Pouncey write in a major work on the subject, “We conclude that the Goldwater Rule was an excessive organizational response to what was clearly an inflammatory and embarrassing moment for American psychiatry.”
I believe Yale’s actions against Dr. Lee also constitute “an excessive organizational response” to some kind of institutional embarrassment, discomfort, or doubt, and reflect badly on Yale’s capacity to hold nuance, complexity, and even moral bearings at a time of great national turmoil. Dr. Lee is clearly an extraordinarily well-qualified psychiatrist, humanitarian, and thought leader, who courageously used her expertise to draw attention to danger—not to “diagnose from a distance.”
We cannot progress as a society if we allow abusive forces to run unchecked. I suspect that the decision to terminate Dr. Lee was withheld until this moment to avoid the appearance of direct complicity with those abusive forces. But the future is being written as we speak, and Yale must make choices about its potential complicity with the status quo that all too often conforms to abuse. Our society is not yet free of the danger of sociopathy. Yale would do well to re-instate Dr. Lee, and be seen for the responsible partner to civil society that it can be. I am aware that this path could potentially invite blowback from institutional partners. Standing up against abuse requires courage. Being able to tell an abusive and powerful leader that they’re wrong is extremely difficult. But that’s exactly the kind of courage that this country was founded upon, and which Dr. Lee demonstrated in flying colors.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
R.C., M.D.
April 19, 2021
Dear President Salovey:
I am writing to urge you to reinstate Bandy Lee, M.D. to her faculty position in the Yale Medical School Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lee’s leadership of the World Mental Health Coalition and her speaking out about the extreme dangerousness of Donald Trump is entirely consistent with the highest ethical standards of her profession, as spelled out in the “Preamble to the Code of Ethics” of both the American Medical and the American Psychiatric Association. This preamble articulates the overarching purpose of the ethical codes, stating:
“The medical profession has long subscribed to a body of ethical statements developed primarily for the benefit of the patient. As a member of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health professionals, and to self. The following Principles adopted by the American Psychiatric Association are not laws, but standards of conduct which define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physician.”
You will note that the Preamble states that Dr. Lee’s “responsibility to patients, first and foremost, as well as to society” makes no claim that she has any responsibility to a public figure who is not her patient.
“First and Foremost” Dr. Lee has demonstrated her responsibility to her patients and to society as the Principles command her to do, by pointing out the dangers posed by the behavior of former President Trump, culminating in his effort to overturn an election and incite an insurrection. Dr. Krystal’s invocation of the so-called “Goldwater rule” at this point demonstrates the stunning intellectual dishonesty of Yale University in suppressing an entirely ethical effort on the part of Dr. Lee to preserve our democracy. Dr. Krystal has no authority to determine that Dr. Lee has violated Section 7.3 of the APA Code of Ethics, known colloquially as the so-called “Goldwater Rule.” This determination can only be made by the Ethics Committee of the APA. You must recognize that Section 7.3 directly is contradicted by the text of the Preamble. Dr. Krystal lacks the knowledge and the authority to make such a determination about the applicability of Section 7.3 in this instance.
It is hard to believe that Yale did not yield to outside pressure to take this action likely prompted by complaints from Alan Dershowitz.
Sincerely yours,
J.Z., M.D.
April 22, 2021
Dear President Salovey:
The undersigned Yale College alumni started together as Morse College first years in the class of 1972 and went on to careers, which continue, in law, medicine and business, respectively.
We write to you now with respect to the lawsuit recently brought by Dr. Bandy Lee against Yale. We have read the articles that appeared in the New York Times and the Yale Daily News, the published letter by Dr. Leonard Glass and others to Dr. John Krystal, the opinion piece by Dr. Glass and others in the Boston Globe, the opinion piece by Dr. Jacob Appel in the Baltimore Sun, various statements by Dr. Lee and the text of her legal complaint. While, to our knowledge, Yale has not yet responded in the litigation, we wish to share the following observations based on what we have read so far and our business, professional and personal experience.
Dr. Bandy Lee represents the best of Yale. She is a distinguished graduate of the Yale School of Medicine and the Divinity School and is respected inside and outside the academy. Her raising of the alarm about the last president took courage for an untenured adjunct. And her insights turned out to be prescient. The former president is linked to unnecessary deaths from a public health emergency, as well as an insurrection.
To us, the decision by the Yale medical school to sunset Dr. Lee’s faculty appointment is not Yale at its best. The University’s position seems to be that psychiatrists, who are specialists in mental illness, emotional disturbance and abnormal behavior, may not publicly share their insights on the powerful, while others who don’t have this professional training, be they natural scientists, social scientists, mathematicians, experts in comparative literature or team coaches, are at liberty to do so. This is an absurdity, and we agree with Dr. Glass that ending Dr. Lee’s appointment in this way is an embarrassment to Yale.
From her complaint, it appears that Dr. Lee has continuously been a faculty member since 2003, with her appointment having been renewed every three years. Certainly, the University has had many opportunities to take the measure of her. Given that history, written communications by Dr. Krystal, quoted in Dr. Lee’s complaint, are extremely troubling. Dr. Krystal wrote that he considered Dr. Lee’s public statements to be “self-serving” in relation to her “personal aspirations.” He further wrote that, in relation to Dr. Lee, he now had to ask:
“Is this the sort of person that I can trust to teach medical students, residents, and forensic psychiatry fellows?” [emphasis added]
In our experience, attacking the good faith of someone with whom one disagrees and categorizing them as not one’s sort of person signal not a beginning but rather an end to the deliberative process.
One result of Dr. Lee’s lawsuit may be a less than ideal use of Yale’s resources for legal and settlement costs. We urge the University to make public any settlement agreement with Dr. Lee. More generally, in our experience, we understand how difficult it can be for organizations and institutions to course correct, but that is the test of leadership. We support efforts to correct this situation.
We are concurrently sending this letter to the Yale Daily News.
Sincerely,
E.D., J.D. (Yale, Morse College, ’73); D.E., M.D. (Yale, Morse College, ’72); D.K. (Yale, Morse College, ’72)
May 10, 2021
Yale Alumni Magazine:
I deeply regret Yale’s decision to relieve Bandy Lee, M.D., M.Div. of her educational role at Yale University. (Alumni Magazine May/June 2021) In my opinion it represents a loss for psychiatry, democracy, moral responsibility, not to mention serving as a spectacularly adverse example to medical trainees at all levels of education at the institution.
When I taught medical ethics, I emphasized above all the central role of moral agency, acknowledging that confronting a moral dilemma often comes with a personal cost, hence the need for moral courage. Dr. Lee has acquitted herself well in this regard.
Many of us, psychiatrists, medical ethicists, American citizens, have struggled deeply in recent years with fear for the future of democracy and legacy for our children and grandchildren. We weighed our own personal responsibility to participate in identification of the leadership vacuum, obvious psychiatric pathology in Washington, and potential for danger for the country. On Jan. 6, 2021 some of us felt we had been unnecessarily restrained, and having abrogated duty.
At the Nuremberg trials not a physician would acknowledge accountability for medical atrocities during the Nazi regime; everything they had done was “legal”.
We each must face our conscience. Where were we when it mattered? Where is Psychiatry?
Where is Yale?
Sincerely,
S. M., M.D., M.A.R. (Yale ’91)
Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
Diplomate, National Board of Medical Examiners
May 11, 2021
Dear President Salovey:
Physicians, especially those specializing in the more intellectual medical fields, are wont to talk among themselves about their most interesting cases, the ones that are notably novel or instructive. But in the course of more than 50 years in medicine, only once do I recall a patient who delighted in being an “interesting” patient. Most prefer to be “plain vanilla” ones, most easily and successfully treated. Therefore, I must wonder why you have chosen to make Yale something like an interesting patient by stepping forward to be the first institution to employ the American Psychiatric Association’s Goldwater Rule to deny Dr. Bandy Lee re-appointment as faculty in your medical school’s department of psychiatry.
I and a great many others believe the Goldwater Rule, a measure to prevent psychiatrists from speaking out about apparent mental illness in public figures, even when the putative mental illness is truly florid and the public figure is a most consequential world leader, as it Donald J. Trump and his self-evident sociopathy, is very wrong-headed, more akin to a self-interested guild rule (https://www.agohq.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/AGO-Code-of-Ethics-2017.01.27.pdf) than a professional society’s ethical precept. With this measure, Yale has elected a course of action with considerable downside and no upside.
The American Association of University Professors has written to you to protest what they see in Dr. Lee’s case as a serious breach of academic freedom. I agree with the AAUP that Yale’s action encroaches on Dr. Lee’s academic freedom and punishes her professionally for acting entirely honorably. And why now rather than when Dr. Lee challenged the Goldwater Rule more directly and loudly with the publication of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President? Yale’s justification for its denial to Dr. Lee of routine re-appointment is the one offered by Dr. Krystal, her department chair, that she has in his view behaved unethically and made an “inappropriate transfer of the duty to warn from the treatment setting to national politics rais[ing] significant doubts about [her] understanding of crucial ethical legal principles in psychiatry”? This you did it at the prompting of Alan Dershowitz, who has tarnished himself only less than Rudy Guiliani by joining Trump’s loyal band of defenders, and who may soon be seriously implicated in the late Jeffrey Epstein scandal as criminal and civil cases advance?
Yale should put down the shovel and reconsider its decision in the Lee matter now before the hole gets too deep for it to climb out without serious injury to itself.
Sincerely yours,
L.O., M.D., M.P.H., J.D.
September 16, 2022
Dear Pres. Salovey:
I am writing again, sadly, about the Dr. Bandy Lee case and Yale’s actions.
The Guardian September 15, 2022 piece “Trump chief of staff used book on president’s mental health as guide” revealed a telling moment in Presidential history:
“Donald Trump’s White House chief of staff secretly bought a book in which 27 mental health professionals warned that the president was psychologically unfit for the job, then used it as a guide in his attempts to cope with Trump’s irrational behavior….
“The book Kelly bought, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, was a bestseller in 2017. In January 2018 its editor, then Yale psychiatrist Bandy Lee, described its aims in a Guardian column.
“She wrote: ‘While we keep within the letter of the Goldwater rule – which prohibits psychiatrists from diagnosing public figures without a personal examination and without consent – there is still a lot that mental health professionals can tell before the public reaches awareness.
“These come from observations of a person’s patterns of responses, of media appearances over time, and from reports of those close to him. Indeed, we know far more about Trump in this regard than many, if not most, of our patients.’”
Mother Jones ran an article in its September/October issue “The Psychiatrist Who Warned Us That Donald Trump Would Unleash Violence Was Absolutely Right.” Written before the Federal Court ruling against Dr. Lee was released, it covered her extensive, impressive background and her considerable national and international contributions to forensic psychiatry, especially studies of violence, all work that is beyond reproach.
While Yale has won in court to not rehire Dr. Lee, pending an appeal, the whole process has left an unfortunate stain, in my opinion, on the University and especially its psychiatry department.
Is this a department that welcomes innovative thinking? Or is it one that slavishly follows norms set by outside entities and responds to outside pressures, to suppress that innovative thinking?
Is this a residency program that might appeal to potential applicants? Is this a department that readily attracts the best faculty talent? At this point, it would seem doubtful to me.
That is a real tragedy, given the long and distinguished history of psychiatry, psychology and child development research and clinical care at Yale.
The New York Times lead editorial on September 11, 2022 bore a title “Censorship is the Refuge of the Weak,” unrelated to Dr. Lee or Yale. Nonetheless the phrase encapsulates for me what Yale has failed to do: stand up for what is right and for openness. Yale may give lip service to, but is not honoring and practicing, those goals.
That is not the Yale I knew and want to see re-emerge. It is time for some honest introspection and meaningful change, at many levels, and long overdue. Yale’s good name in many areas, not just psychiatry, is quite frankly on the line.
Yours truly,
J.F., M.D. (Yale College, ’69)
September 4, 2020
Dear President Salovey:
[Excerpt] Dr. Bandy Lee, formerly an assistant clinical professor of forensic psychiatry in the Law and Psychiatry Division of the Yale School of Medicine, has sought the advice and assistance of the American Association of University Professors…. The interest of our Association in the case of Dr. Lee arises from its longstanding commitment to basic tenets of academic freedom and due process as enunciated in the enclosed 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, jointly articulated by the AAUP and the Association of American Colleges and Universities and endorsed by more than 250 scholarly societies and higher-education organizations. Procedural standards derived from the 1940 Statement are set forth in the AAUP’s Recommended Institutional Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure (also enclosed).
Under the 1940 Statement, “College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline.” The enclosed Committee A Statement on Extramural Utterances, issued in 1964 by the AAUP’s Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, further clarifies that “[e]xtramural utterances rarely bear upon the faculty member’s fitness for continuing service. Moreover, a final decision [to dismiss a faculty member] should take into account the faculty member’s entire record as a teacher and scholar.”
In short, the extramural speech that Dr. Krystal cited as a basis for Dr. Lee’s nonreappointment is protected expression under principles of academic freedom unless it betrays a lack of professional fitness.
The AAUP has long taken the position, articulated in Regulation 9 of the Recommended Institutional Regulations (hereinafter RIR) that “[a]ll members of the faculty, whether tenured or not, are entitled to academic freedom as set forth in the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure. As academic freedom can exist in name only without appropriate procedural protections, especially for the most vulnerable members of the profession, the AAUP has also long taken the position, to quote again from the RIR, that “[t]here should be no invidious distinctions between those who teach and/or conduct research in higher education, regardless of whether they hold full-time or part-time appointments or whether their appointments are tenured, tenure-track, or contingent. All faculty members should have access to the same due-process protections and procedures.”
The procedural protections most relevant to Dr. Lee’s case are set out in Regulation 10 (“Complaints of Violation of Academic Freedom or of Discrimination on Nonreappointment”) of the RIR, which provides as follows:
“If a faculty member on probationary or other nontenured appointment alleges that a decision against reappointment was based significantly on considerations that violate academic freedom,… the allegation will be given preliminary consideration by the [insert name of committee], which will seek to settle the matter by informal methods. The allegation will be accompanied by a statement that the faculty members agrees to the presentation, for the consideration of the faculty committee, of such reasons and evidence as the institution may allege in support of its decision. If the difficulty is unresolved at this stage and if the committee so recommends, the matter will be heard in the manner set forth in Regulations 5 and 6, except that the faculty member making the complaint is responsible for stating the grounds upon which the allegations are based and the burden of proof will rest upon the faculty member. If the faculty member succeeds in establishing a prima facie case, it is incumbent upon those who made the decision against reappointment to come forward with evidence in support of their decision.”
Dr. Lee has thus far not been afforded any procedure that would allow her to challenge the nonreappointment decision with an appropriately constituted body of faculty peers.
The information in our possession concerning the case of Dr. Lee has come to us almost exclusively from her, and we appreciate that you may have additional information that might allay our concerns. We therefore welcome your comments. Absent such information, we urge that Dr. Lee be afforded a procedure consistent with the provisions of Regulation 10.
Sincerely,
G.S., Ph.D.
Director of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance
American Association of University Professors
Additional select comments by mental health professionals (from the worldmhc.org web site):
“An esteemed and world renowned expert in anti-violence protection, Dr. Lee is a beacon of light for the voice of truth in protecting our Country from danger. Yale should stand proudly by her side in honoring the sanctity of our duty to warn as mental health professionals!!” – N.G., LCSW
“It is unfathomable that Yale would allow some nefarious connection with Dershowitz, already denounced throughout the media world, to be a cause for firing Dr. Lee (no matter what protestations or pearl-clutching either Yale or Dershowitz makes). Yale, either you sign on to incipient fascism or you stand for solid American and academic rights and principles. Which will you do?” – T.A., LCSW
“We believe that Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated and recognized for her service to humanity and as a role model for students of true democracy in action.” – L.H., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee is terrific. It is a terrible miscarriage of justice to have let her go from Yale over her public comments on twitter. I have followed her closely on twitter and have been an active participant in the twitter discourse myself. She is extremely competent and is a major loss for Yale to not have her on faculty. The merits of the Goldwater Rule have been discussed in the scholarly literature recently with experts on personality disorder diagnosis asserting that it is not black and white and that in some cases, it is appropriate to break given the appropriate expertise. I know many colleagues who agree.” – D.W., Ph.D.
“Dr Bandy Lee was correct in everything she has said. She was shouted down and fettered by the APA.” – P.C., psychologist
“Dr. Lee is courageous and should be re-instated. Your actions against her are reprehensible. Dr. Lee is fighting for our democracy which is under threat.” – B.M., M.D., J.D.
“Dr. Bandy Lee has had the courage to speak out for the public good when a malignant narcissists controlled our government. This should not be punished.” – R.S., psychologist
“Everything mentioned in the book she was a co-author has proven to be true. Actually anything she has said is factually true, so why is she being punished.” – C.M., R.N., M.P.H.
“Professionals need not be punished for having the courage the institutions lack.” – R.K., LMHC
“I appreciate that Dr Lee exercised her duty to warn concerning the competence and dangerousness of Donald Trump. I respectfully submit that her termination be reconsidered and that she should be reinstated.” – J.A., LMFT
“I am disappointed and disgusted by Yale supporting insurrection and the Federalist Society. UGH. Disgust and repulsion. You owe the American people an explanation for Kavanaugh and his lies. And you should be diagnosing that orange madman and preventing him from lying to us again.” – K.M., L.P.C.
“Dr. Lee has been courageous, and correct in her clinical assessment and need to educate the public as part of our professional ‘duty to warn.’ Great contribution to our profession!” – A.E., LCSW
“Yale did not terminate Dr. John Levanthal for deleting medical notes that protected and enabled the pedophile Woody Allen, yet you terminate Dr. Lee for speaking out against a criminal POTUS. ‘Yale inherited a small slave plantation in Rhode Island that it used to fund its first graduate programs and its first scholarships,’ Wilder says. ‘It aggressively sought out opportunities to benefit from the slave economies of New England and the broader Atlantic world.’ #StopAsianHate at Yale.” – W.A., M.D.
“Dr. Lee is a courageous gift to our profession.” – J.M., clinical counselor
“Expert voices should not be censured or silenced, especially when our country and the world faced such danger.” – M.B., Psy.D.
“Please reinstate Dr. Lee. We need more professionals who can address the corruption we are seeing in America. If democracy is to survive we need experts to guide us by shining a light on the truth.” – G.T., professional mental health counselor
“As the parent of a Yale alum (Bischoff‚ ’20), a donor, and an academic, I am disturbed by the decision of the BOT to terminate Dr. Lee. We all know the so-called Goldwater Rule does not limit our First Amendment rights to free speech in any way. I am disappointed in this blatantly misogynistic decision. Do better.” – P.B., Ed.D.
“It should be evident by now that the Goldwater Rule was used to suppress valid observations and assertions made by Dr. Bandy X. Lee, that were soundly based on academic research and the broad scope of knowledge and practice of psychiatric medicine. The restriction and suppression of any speech, imposed upon American institutions, academic, journalistic or otherwise, do not serve democracy or our nation’s well being. Please reconsider your position and re-instate Dr. Lee. Live up to your promise as a worthy academic institution in which Americans must find truth, goodness and educational opportunity. Thank you.” – B.W., psychotherapist
“We psychotherapists and psychiatrists have a duty to warn society if a person is too mentally ill to safely hold office, especially as President with his or her finger on the nuclear button. Punishing Dr. Lee for doing so is unworthy of Yale University’s long tradition of fairness.” – L.B., psychotherapist
“The so-called ‘Goldwater Rule’ is archaic and inappropriate for this situation. When a person’s behavior is seen publicly, filmed, tweeted, and reviewed in a wide range of scenarios, there is more evidence than would be gleaned from a few visits per month. Moreover, the work of Dr. Kenneth Blum details the reward deficiency syndrome with an array of behaviors found in alcoholic/addictive families. Numerous examples reveal that Donald Trump displays most of them.” – C.W., M.D.
“Boarded psychiatrist x 30 years fully supports integrity and courage shown by Dr. Lee.” – D.T., M.D.
“‘As a forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Lee has a duty to warn about public figures, even the President of the United States. We are still living in the damage Mr. Trump caused Americans during his administration. These were preventable deaths. Dr. Lee acted within legal and ethical guidelines to protect Americans.” – S.H., therapist
“Dr. Bandy Lee has continued to be a constant voice for reason and accountability. She should have never been fired in the first place. People are scared of her ability to think for herself and challenge the status quo. We NEED more people like her in this field. I CANNNOT believe she was fired for speaking truth to power.” – J.B., psychologist
“In my opinion, Dr Lee was always cognizant of and careful to walk the fine line between informing and describing behavior, and diagnosing. History will regard her contributions favorably. Yale should reinstate her because it is the right thing to do.” – J.L., LMFT
“Dr Lee only articulated what many of us recognized as pathological behavior from former POTUS. Removing her was a frightening act of academic suppression and pandering to a partisan agenda put forth by some of APA’s leaders. Reinstate her now!” – T.C., M.D.
“Prescient is what you call that.” – G.P., M.D.
“Was disappointed by Yale’s actions and would like to see the University admit some wrongdoing as it aspires to shape the minds of the world’s best and brightest pupils.” – D.M., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee has consistently helped make the lay community understand the inherent dangers of Trump’s weaknesses, erratic behaviors, and failure to govern. At no time did Dr. Lee resort to cheap or petty tactics in describing the actions of Trump. Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated.” – L.O., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee has been a tireless expert and ethical professional who has spoken up at great personal cost to warn of the dangers that our past president presented to our country and our people. Please do the right thing and reinstate her.” – T.D., licensed psychologist
“Do the right thing.” – N.M., LMFT
“I’ve followed Dr Lee for a long time. She has consistently been correct in her assessment of public figures. Had we followed her advice the country would not be in the shape we find ourselves. Please reinstate her.” – J.T., certified hypnotist
“Mental Health practitioners have a ‘duty to warn,’ and that is what Dr. Bandy Lee has done: try to warn this country about one of the most obviously dangerous U.S. political figures in many decades, if not ever. If only she had been heeded, based on her credentials and standing in the mental health field, many thousands of people would still be alive. (See CDC’s Dr. Birx’s recent statement that 450,000 people might not have died of Covid if Trump had taken recommended action a year ago.) Please reinstate this treasure of a mental health professional. You would be fortunate to have her back.” – C.D., LMFT
“Please reinstate Dr. Lee immediately. She is an asset to independent and unbiased psychiatry.” – M.J., M.D.
“#Asian American #female fired after warning (without diagnosing) about danger, to protect the public. #White #males diagnosed same dangerous people, without consequence, received funding, and helped the dangerous stay in #power. Where’s the sanity here?” – K.O., crisis counselor
“Dershowitz is a bully who goes around censoring others’ right to free speech. Shame on Harvard for keeping him. Shame on you for firing Dr. Lee.” – N.A., Ph.D.
“As a board member of the World Mental Health Coalition, I applaud and follow Dr. Lee’s leadership in our duty to protect the public with our knowledge.” – L.W., Ph.D.
“The termination of Dr. Lee is a sad statement on where Yale is at in terms of integrity and academic freedom. Her voice as a Yale professor needs to be heard. Do the right thing and reinstate Dr Lee.” – P.K., LMFT
“Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated and recognized for her service to the public health, humanity and as a role model for students of true democracy in action.” – S.H., psychotherapist
“Dr. Lee is outspoken and knowledgeable, an asset to her profession as well as to the public for her education and advocacy regarding the former president’s ‘dangerousness.’ She should be reinstated as well as recognized for her service.” – R.J., LCSW
“She has been a courageous advocate alerting the world to ‘The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,’ a major book she edited, and the first prescient warning from mental health professionals of the potential violence and corruption leading to January 6th.” – J.W., psychologist
“It is not political, nor is it clinical diagnosing for a clinician to warn of the danger to our larger community, the whole country, from a disturbed politician, including the president. Yale could have joined in this warning.” – T.Z., trauma therapist
“I am disturbed that Dr. Bandy Lee was terminated and yes, she had tremendous courage in speaking out of the reality of the threats of the previous President. Reinstate her!” – C.R., psychotherapist
“Dr. Bandy Lee is a beacon to the community and serves as an inspiration to become educated, to seek higher learning, to use critical thinking skills, and to challenge biases, cognitive dissonance, and abuse in a healthy manner. Terminating Dr. Bandy is an act of silencing not only human rights, but also the voice of the thirst and hunger for higher education to made a difference in the world for the better.” – K.D., LMFT
“Ethically, there is a distinct difference between developing a refined psychiatric diagnosis requiring direct clinical contact and the determination of ‘danger to self and others’ which does not and is an issue of public health and safety. Dr. Bandy Lee clearly stated that she with other prominent clinical professionals was proposing the latter determination in the case of the former POTUS. For this professional risk on behalf of our nation, she should be lauded and certainly not penalized with loss of her faculty position at Yale.” – T.H., Ph.D.
“This feels like retribution and a systemic issue concerning gender and ethnicity, as well.” – S.S., licensed psychologist
“Dr. Lee must be reinstated!” – G.B., Ph.D.
“I support Dr. Lee.” – T.F., LCSW
“I fully support the reinstatement of Dr. Bandy Lee.” – R.C., Ph.D.
“I believe that Dr. Bandy Lee has contributed greatly to our country’s understanding of Donald Trump. History will praise her for her courage in helping the public to understand what they were witnessing. I trust you will reconsider your decision.” – M.M., psychologist
“Bandy Lee spoke up bravely, responsibly and eloquently for the good of our country. Yale should be proud to count her among its faculty.” – N.B., psychotherapist
“This is unconscionable that a higher education facility would block the message of public dangerousness and awareness. We have battled those who want to suppress this knowledge which became available through the awareness campaigns beginning in the domestic violence movement which has saved millions of lives. We will never avoid what we can’t identify. Be a part of TRUE public education even in the field of dangerousness.” – S.B., counselor
“Dr. Lee’s prophetic voice and mental health expertise has been needed to expose the danger of our former president’s behavior. If Yale does not reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee it will be your loss and another institution’s gain.” – M.W., Ph.D.
“Donald Trump was and is a danger to our democracy and cost lives through his behavior as president. Dr. Lee was right in taking seriously her duty to warn the public, and in speaking from her professional expertise about his impact on the psychology of vulnerable people. In the name of academic freedom, she must be reinstated or Yale will lose its own credibility.” – J.B., LCSW
“Dr Lee is a brilliant woman. She is allowed freedom of speech. Everything she has said and done is endorsed by thousands of mental health professionals who back her and agree with her. Should we all be suspended?” – L.M., psychologist
“Dr Lee and her colleagues are right on all along. I read her books, attended virtually all her on-line townhalls, watched interviews and read articles. Her educated commitment to the duty to warn the public is courageous and relentless in the face of dark efforts to gag her. Is Yale bowing to pressure from its massive Endowment sources? If Yale wants to be on the right side of history, science, and the integrity of protecting Humanity, re-instate Dr. Lee.” – A.R., clinical psychologist
“I am dismayed by Yale’s decision to punish a faculty member who has shown an unusual strength of character during the last administration when the very basic tenets of our democracy were threatened by the blatant mental health problems of the President. Unfortunately, it also appears that politics might be at play in the decision taken by Yale to terminate Dr. Lee while retaining Dr. Lieberman. That is unfortunate. Dr. Lee provided a public service to the lay population and the mental health community with the careful and informative programs she organized with high level people in a variety of aligned fields. In summary, Dr. Lee has been a commendable spokesperson who provided an important public service during a four year period of crisis in this country. Yale should reinstate her, not punish her while her male colleague goes unscathed by his behavior.” – L.P., LCSW
“Dr. Lee has been a source of inspiration and education to me for the past five years. Her writing has opened an extremely valuable dialogue that is much needed in these difficult times. Pls. consider re-instating her.” – M.G., M.D.
“Haven’t the events surrounding the insurrection on January 6th, including deaths and many injuries to capital police officers, shown that Dr. Lee’s predictions were valid? As a psychologist with extensive experience in assessing and treating violent behavior, it is my opinion that Dr. Lee should be reinstated, and Dr. John Krystal, chairman of the Psychiatry Department, should be investigated for firing her for political reasons.” – J.N., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee has demonstrated courage, professionalism, and integrity as she has consistently warned the country and Congress of the dangerousness of a man who was unfit for public office. Her expertise in the area of psychopathology and violence are her credentials. She will be welcomed elsewhere.” – M.T., Ph.D.
“Having practiced psychiatry in Denver, CO, for 39 years, I have benefited greatly from learning about violence and harmful mental and behavior patterns of those whom I treat as well as those who have perpetrated harm on others. Dr. Lee’s expertise in this area is invaluable to not only us practicing in this field, but to the entire nation, when such patterns emerge in those who gain power. Her clarity and courage in educating us, as well as members of Congress and others who have the duty to protect us as a nation, must be loudly supported and made more available. This is the wise use of expertise in public, forensic, psychiatry, that Dr. Lee exemplifies. The Goldwater Rule has no bearing whatsoever on her attempts to warn us about such harmful behavior patterns, and her ongoing expertise in how to protect from dangerous patterns among the populace.” – E.L., M.D.
“Let’s judge Dr. Lee for all she has done right. She is an excellent physician and forensic psychiatrist.” – L.H., M.D.
“Dr. Lee has taken many chances with her own safety and reputation in speaking truth to power. She has done, with care and respect, what we all should have done. As an old Yalie, I am proud of her and ashamed of Yale.” – M.H., M.D. YMS ’66
“Yale tarnishes what little reputation it has left as an institution upholding freedom of thought by canceling Dr. Lee.” – S.H., Ph.D.
“I endorse Yale University reinstating Dr. Bandy Lee.” – S.R., clinical psychologist
“The Goldwater rule has no legal standing, it is a rule made by a private organization (American Psychiatric Association) If there were ever a court case trying to enforce it would most probably be thrown out on First Amendment grounds. Political speech is a highly first amendment protected activity. “ – D.L., Ph.D.
“I am stunned by Yale’s termination of Dr. Bandy Lee, M.D. Dr. Lee’s important scholarly contributions to our U.S. democracy certainly warrant her reinstatement to Yale, as well as, praise for all Dr. Bandy Lee’s important research, writings and teaching.” – P.S., psychoanalyst
“It appears that Dr. Lee is being politically harassed and punished for speaking up and expressing her concern for what has been obvious to those untrained in medicine or psychiatry. Psychiatrists are held to a dual standard in the U.S. where courts demand that we take action to prevent recognizable potential harm to one individual, but the professional leadership would muzzle those who would warn the public about someone with evidence of potential to harm many. This results in moral conflict for a psychiatric professional and weakens ethical authority of the profession. Where were we before Jan. 6th? Dr. Lee was there, along with other ethically burdened colleagues.” – S.M., M.D.
“Dear President Salovey: Yale is one of the great educational institutions of the Western world and I have revered it for decades. You should recognize and applaud Dr. Lee’s expertise, energy, insight, and courage in confronting the imminent recent danger to our democracy. She belongs on your faculty forthwith and I request you reinstate her.” – J.R., M.D.
“I am a mental health provider and as such, well aware of ethics in diagnosing mental illness. There was no wrongdoing here. Please don’t let large doners and other Trump associates distract you from your ethical responsibility to reinstate Dr. Lee. She is an asset to your heretofore reputable institution who deserves support and protection from those who would engage in covering and distorting the truth of our ex-president.” – L.L., LCSW
“The termination of Dr. Lee is outrageous. She had the courage to predict, accurately, and speak up about President Trump’s dangerousness and should be applauded for doing so. We are in different times. Just as the Goldwater Rule was necessary in its time, so is the public service of experts speaking out about dangerousness in current times. To do so in the face of massively changing cultural circumstances that bear so directly on our very democracy is essential. Our profession would be negligent if we did not speak out.” – P.D., L.P.C.
“Dr. Lee is a capable, moral, and ethical physician. She should certainly be reinstated as an honored faculty member.” – G.S., M.D.
“Yale shot themselves in the foot on this one. Dr. Lee should get a Nobel prize.” – D.G., M.D.
“Doctor Lee has demonstrated the kind of conduct and decision making to be applauded as a Profile in Courage!” – T.J., licensed psychologist
“Please support academic freedom. My daughter is a Yale graduate and we are hoping that your consideration of this action will help preserve the value of her degree for the future.” – J.F., Ph.D.
“I wish Bandy Lee was at Yale Med School when I was there (’64). She has spoken clearly as a citizen, not counting on the old DSM-5. I wonder, President Salovey if you have pushed her out for some organizational interests? I’d vote for your supporting her rights as a citizen to care for our country.” – W.H., M.D.
“You should have been proud that Dr. Lee represented your institution. Instead you punish her for trying de defend our democracy during very unusual times? Shame on Yale. I always admired Yale above many of the other Ivy Leaguers. But this shows a rigidity that actually connotes stupidity. If rules are rules under any circumstances, then this action is childlike and lacking in wisdom. Extremely disappointment and so unmerited! Time for the people who made this decision to get some therapy themselves and wake up to what was really happening in our country under Trump. Dr. Lee should be given a medal not fired! Plus one has to ask oneself if this act was sexist and/or racist. Would you have made the same decision if it were an esteemed white male on your faculty? I wonder.” – M.F., Ph.D.
“I have had the greatest respect for the University and for the Department in the past. Many family members and friends are Yale graduates. Please reconsider your decision in this matter. Yale should be better than this.” – B.P., M.D.
“I make a strong objection against Yale’s termination of the president of the World Mental Health Coalition Dr. Bandy Lee and she should be lauded, not denounced. She needs to be reinstated and recognized for her service to humanity and as a role model for students of true democracy in action.” – P.S., LMHC
“Both higher education and the mental health field require open discussion and examination of issues that impact society. Dr. Lee’s advocacy aligns with the values of both fields.” – S.S., LCSW
“Dr. Lee is now punished for predicting the ‘carnage’ he actually wrought. What a tragedy!” – P.E., LMFT
“Terminating Dr. Lee is an outrage. She has been an exemplary public servant who has quite realistically and effectively sounded the alarm about the megalomaniac who was, until a few months ago elected to the highest office in the land. She should be commended—not fired! Reinstate her by all means.” – M.W., M.Ed.
“I completely agree. Donald Trump is dangerous and so too are his enablers. This is clear and it makes no sense to me that we are wasting time arguing about Dr. Lee rather than protecting the U.S. and the world.” – H.S., LCSW
“It is outrageous that an institution of higher learning would capitulate to what can only be considered to be high-value donors to the University and whatever criticism or complaints they may have voiced against Bandy Lee. As a practitioner in the mental health field what Bandy has written and expressed should be protected within free-speech rights and not sacrificed to protect any artificially constructed limitations against these rights.” – K.S., LMFT
“Dr. Lee is a heroine, accurately predicting crisis outcomes years before they happened, while making complicated psychiatric theory understandable and actionable. Yale University would be wise, even if tardy, in stepping aside from the political morass it has entered and instead exhibit the pride appropriate to her leadership, intelligence, courage and willingness to share her historic limelight with Yale. Apologies, please.” – A.C., M.D.
“You have made yourself a party to the destroyers of democracy and given credence to the dictates of gag order. Dr. Bandy Lee is a hero to legions of mental health practitioners who saw patients psyches crumble after the 2016 election. Her voice was one of clarity, of order, of reasonableness. She consistently advocated for a real evaluation of the former president, and refused to let herself and her organization become a party to the righteous political pushback, while also speaking up where ever she could about the dangers ahead. Was she correct? 550,000 American deaths later, I say she was.” – M.H., mental health counselor
“Dr. Lee was using her duty to warn, in speaking out about Donald Trump, just as hundreds of others have done. Her termination was wrong. In fact she should be praised for her efforts to warn and protect the American people.” – N.S., clinical psychologist
“Dear Yale: The world needs more people like Bandy Lee. She had the courage to speak out against misinformation and blatant racism that is pervasive in government and education. Shame on you for supporting the ligaments supporting white nationalism and elitism. I am proudly standing by Dr Lee and will strongly boycott anything involved with your status quo establishment.” – I.M., LCSW
“Trump’s psychopathology was obvious even to lay people … not to mention that there is more publicly available information about him than one would ever get in a formal, in-person evaluation. Dr. Lee has made extremely important contributions to the public discourse.” – S.L., Ph.D.
“This needs to happen immediately. Dr. Bandy Lee served the country, people here and globally, helped in saving our democracy, and made me proud to be a mental health professional.” – J.W., LMFT
“There is absolutely no reason why Dr. Lee should have lost her job in the first place. She spoke out when it the country needed to hear about the danger that was Donald Trump. Not bringing her back speaks volumes about your commitment to the mental health field. He was/is the most dangerous president that has ever held office. His inciting the capital riots are proof enough. Dr. Lee spoke truth to power and is now being punished for it. Do the right thing Yale.” – T.D., LMFT
“I fully support Dr. Lee’s reinstatement. Her courage and service to humanity remained exceptional throughout a very dangerous political era, headed by a mentally compromised president. We need educators like Dr. Lee who have the courage and academic aptitude to speak truth to power.” – I.D., Ph.D.
“This is a matter of principle. Please reinstate Dr. Lee as she is entirely principled, courageous and outstanding in her example to us all in speaking out and educating we, the public, of serious dangers with respect to the former president. We must be able to speak out within our precious democracy, especially those such as Dr. Lee with respect to her very solid and certain expertise in these areas. I, for one, want and need to be informed. I for one have ancestors who founded this country within the principals of TRUE democracy. Yes, an imperfect experiment. But yes, worthy of our respect, engagement, and willingness to participate. I have friends and relatives for generations, who have gone to Yale. Reinstate Dr. Lee to her rightful position on your teaching staff. Thank you kindly for your consideration.” – L.J., M.D.
“Dr. Lee was beacon of courage in a sea of ostriches. It was all our duties to warn that a disordered personality was heading the government. If locking children in cages, attempting to bribe foreign leaders, and inciting an insurrection on the capitol doesn’t constitute ‘dangerousness’, what does?” – D.T., licensed counselor
“Dr. Lee is a superb scholar and educator. I urge you to support her right to free speech and academic freedom. Please reconsider Dr. Lee’s termination and reinstate her to her position at the Yale School of Medicine.” – K.A., psychologist
“It is time to put the health of the nation ahead of our personal or institutional desire to maintain power and status. Or we won’t have a democracy to defend. Reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee.” – K.P., LCSW, J.D.
“Dr. Bandy Lee should absolutely be reinstated to Yale for her courage and patriotism as well as her brilliant leadership and commitment to our nation’s psychological health and well being. Thank you for doing the right thing.” – S.W., LCSW
“I am very disappointed that Yale has sided with Alan Dershowitz at the expense of academic freedom. Please reconsider your decision.” – E.L., M.D. (Yale ’68)
“In that the DSM is the American Psychiatric Association’s manual, I implore mental health practitioners to stop avoiding what is their area of expertise.” – M.H., Ph.D.
“The action taken by Yale University with regards to Dr. Lee is unconscionable and must be immediately reversed.” – J.S., LMFT
“Dr. Lee was punished for doing her job of trying to protect the public from a dangerous psychopath, who went on to prove her point.” – J.F., M.D.
“Duty to warn is a critical professional mandate especially when the mentally ill person has access to the nuclear codes! Dr. Lee and her colleagues did the right thing.” – C.M., LCSW
“Please reconsider your decision and reinstate Dr. Lee immediately.” – M.P, Ph.D.
“Dr. Bandy Lee had the courage and integrity to do the right thing to protect our democracy. I would expect the least an institution of your position and reputation could do is to stand behind her and reinstate her.” – C.S., counselor
“I support Dr Brady Lee’s reinstatement as this is a clear abrogation of academic freedom by Yale university.” – A.Z., Jungian analyst
“Dr. Lee was right and very responsible to alert the nation and the world to the dangerous case of Donald Trump. Yale was wrong and irresponsible to terminate her service, especially without a thorough review of her work and all of the issues involved.” – W.C., retired associate professor
“This is a great injustice that she is being punished for what the world has seen in his behavior the last several years.” – D.N., LCSW
“Dr. Lee and the WMHC has been the public voice of education and human health care rights, for many of us who are survivors of domestic/narcissistic abuse. Subtle warnings do not work. And Yale and the American Psychiatric Association have failed those of us in recovery from such … those who deserve an opportunity for health and wholeness, and a happy and prosperous existence. From a patient’s perspective, the duty to warn, should always come first…. That is the key to prevention. I ask that you reconsider, Yale, the position you have taken, which in my perspective, threw us survivors under the bus. I thought our mental health mattered? Thank you, Dr. Lee, for never backing down. We needed you.” – A.C., mental health advocate
“This is an egregious abuse of power on the part of Yale University that flies in the face of the First Amendment and indicative of the New McCarthyism polluting our institutions. Reinstate Dr. Lee!” – C.B., LMFT
“Reinstate Dr. Lee. She spoke truth to power and was punished for it.” – G.S., LMHC
“Dr. Lee should be honored and is in other circles for her professional and ethical approach helping us all deal with a dangerous President.” – F.M., LMFT
“To fire a faculty member because of her public statements about a malignant narcissist who is doing great harm to the country and world is frightening and wrongheaded. She should be rewarded for the courage to point out the emperor is naked. Not just naked but enormously destructive.” – B.S., Argonne distinguished fellow
“She was trying to protect us from the gravest danger to our democracy that we have faced in a long time.” – E.I., LMFT
“We are concerned about the destruction of democracy and the squashing of First Amendment rights.” – C.D., LCSW
“This is a time for Yale to support divergent opinions, not to punish their employees. Challenge the ideas, state they represent or don’t represent college views, but to punish someone for actions in terms of free speech, I don’t understand.” G.B., retired licensed psychotherapist
“Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated.” – A.B., LISW
“Dr Lee and the World Mental Health Coalition provided valuable and insightful information to government leaders and the public. She deserves to be reinstated.” – A.A., LCSW
“Dr. Lee is a courageous and valued colleague whose contributions to our field and our country amply validate her appointment in Yale’s Department of Psychiatry.” – L.G., M.D.
“Please reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee.” – D.S., LMFT
“The Department of Psychiatry at Yale has cancelled a voluntary teaching appointment because the Chair of the Department John Krystal felt that Dr. Lee’s views shouldn’t be part of what residents were exposed to in their training. What do we call this kind of censorship?” – H.F., M.D.
“This is a very punitive action on Yale University’s part against a brilliant faculty person who wrote on an important topic. This is clearly a violation of 1st Amendment rights and is reminiscent of authoritarian dictatorships. I’m sure this action was taken because of pressure from wealthy Yale donors. Shame on you, Yale, for restricting 1st Amendment rights. Reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee NOW!” – R.S., LCSW
“Shame on you.” – B.A., LMFT
“Dr. Lee’s stand has espoused the highest degree of ethics in the expression of the professional obligation to the public to safeguard the society’s mental health. I strongly support the petition to revoke her termination at Yale.” – L.K., M.D.
“I am a yale Ph.D. (1959) and a regular contributor to many Yale charities. I urge you to reconsider this unfortunate action against Dr. Bandy Lee—who has been a firm leader in opposition to D.J. Trump as unfit for his office—which has now been widely proven true, given his 2 impeachments and also inciting an insurrection against our Congress. Bandy is a hero!!” – P.Z., Ph.D.
“There is way too much ambiguity in the charges against Dr. Lee to have her dismissal be seen as anything other than weak-kneed yielding to political pressure. An institution of Yale’s stature does not need to be involved in such a travesty. Instead, honor your professors who have both integrity and competence.” – G.P., professor emeritus
“Reinstate her immediately! She should be given a medal for her courage.” – Z.K., LMFT
“I fully support the re-instatement of Dr. Bandy Lee. I believe qualifying statements such as ‘X is not my patient’ or ‘These insights are based on my training and publicly observable behavior’ should be sufficient.” – M.S., counseling psychologist
“Dr. Lee’s work is an inspiration as she refused to suppress her clinical opinion to enable the powerful. We are all better to be able to include her and reference her in our field. “ – A.M., LMFT
“It is appalling that Yale fired the distinguished professor and psychiatrist, Dr. Bandy Lee. She has courageously drawn upon her expertise and shared her professional experience about how we can address and help reform perpetrators of violence—all for the public good, as every ethical medical professional should. She embodies what a mental health professional, medical doctor, and professor should be. Please consider reinstating the Dr. Lee. She has been a beacon who modeled the positive aspects and potential of your institution. Your lack of support for her implies systemic gender and racial prejudice, let alone other serious problems at Yale.” – J.K., LMFT
“The world needed to be warned about Donald Trump. His well-documented pathology has killed Americans. We failed when psychologists were gagged.” – R.P., LMHC
“Dismissing a high caliber person such as Dr. Lee is a disservice to democracy. History will judge Yale’s decision to terminate Dr. Lee. Although it’s understandable the fear against retaliation, it is my humble opinion that Yale should stand firm in defense of a hero and scholar like Dr. Lee.” – M.M., chaplain/ pastoral care and counseling
“Dr. Lee has embodied the spirit of community mental health, by utilizing her knowledge and network to amplify the legitimate, measurable concerns facing our citizens. It defies logic and decency, that a learning institution fired her for educating the public. Yale has so many avenues in place to promote accurate, relevant mental health care and empowering those with complex challenges. Reinstating Dr. Lee would demonstrate a recognition of your error, and action to correcting it–for the benefit of all. Do the right thing.” – B.B., LCSW
“This is Yale being more attuned to rich Federalist Society donors than to academic freedom and truth. Shame on you.” – P.G., licensed psychologist
“The rationale for not renewing her appointment is found lacking. I contend that Dr. Lee deserves to be in place that respects her intellect and scholarship. I support her desire to be at Yale. She deserves better.” – K.W., Ph.D.
“The Goldwater rule is neither fair, nor reasonable, and bars relevant professional comment from political and public discussion. Scientific assessment is never absolute, often qualified, and limited, but in a democracy, is a civic responsibility. The words and actions of Dershowitz, Lieberman, Yale, and the APA represent a cynical collusion and abuse of privilege to undermine that duty.” – R.P., Ph.D.
“I’m not sure what it takes for an institution of higher learning, especially one with a reputation of excellence around the world, to recognize when a group of administrators and academics have made such an egregious error. As a member of the WMHC, Dr. Lee’s courage, expertise and patriotism in the face of a man determined to gain power and grow financially without regard for America and its citizens places her efforts to warn us alongside academic experts in law, history, journalism and other experts. Dr. Lee warned us (and continues to do so) of how one person with limited mental capacity can unravel a democracy that has been the model around the world. The idea that Alan Dershowitz, who has established himself as an ally to Trump with a malignant need for prestige and power and whose desperate to distance himself from his past deeds, was given a platform by Yale to essentially ‘snuff out’ Dr. Lee, an alumna and well respected professor is beyond disheartening. Dr. Lee’s only goal was to fill a void as a mental health expert and to help Americans understand psychologically what we all were/are witnessing with our own eyes. Having worked as a mental health provider and educator for over 30 years, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned and have passed on is to acknowledge when I’ve made a mistake. There is no doubt that the decision Yale made to distance the institution from Dr. Lee was influenced by Alan Dershowitz, a public figure who’s boasted about his history of ‘taking down’ his perceived enemies. I hope that the pressure from fellow mental health experts around the country will influence Yale to reconsider and reinstate Dr. Lee. Thank you.” – S.C., LMHC
“The use of the ‘Goldwater Rule’ to suppress clear discussion of abundant and blatant public behavior of a malignant public figure who clearly constitutes a dramatic public health risk is unconscionable and a violation of First Amendment rights. Your suspension of Dr. Bandy Lee is an attack on academic freedom. Reinstate her and apologize for YOUR behavior!” – S.V., clinical psychologist
“My husband and I, both professors and marriage and family clinicians, are horrified by Yale’s firing of Dr. Bandy Lee. I venture to say, that Yale has responded in fear spawned by the intimidation and cruelty of the past chaotic, dysfunctional years of the Trump administration. Dr Lee is a woman of tremendous courage and integrity who spoke out to warn the American people of the danger and mental instability of Donald Trump. Dr Lee is due an apology and reinstatement by Yale. May it not go down in history that Yale rebuked a courageous truth teller.” – C.S., professor and marriage and family clinician
“So pleased and agree with Dr. Lee.” – J.B., psychiatric inpatient social worker
“Please reverse this act which dishonored Yale, and reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee.” – A.M., psychoanalyst
“I was shocked to learn that Bandy Lee who did such important work in calling attention to the frightening and dangerous actions of our ex-president was fired from Yale. She needs to be reinstated!” – D.S., psychoanalyst
“Yale needs to continue its honorable tradition of and dedication to academic freedom.” – J.G., LCSW
“I thought Yale was better than this. I’m appalled that Dr. Lee was fired. I am appalled and concerned at the power Donald Trump still wields.” – D.W., LCSW
“Bandy Lee has been a light during these last four years. Her strength and courage have led me and my clients. It is horrifying that a rule which is used to prevent ‘diagnosing’ patients is also used to prevent professionals from utilizing a ‘duty to warn,’ which are both in the same rule. If psychiatric professionals cannot warn of someone’s danger, violence just because they don’t treat the person, we are very likely to have another tyrannical leader. It is a shame nobody listened to Bandy Lee as her first book basically predicted the disasters of the past four years. And her statements that Trump formed a cult are also true if you look at the definitions of a cult. This level of American delusion is becoming the norm. Just as Bandy Lee said that when you have a leader who engages in this level of psychosis, you create followers who catch on to the shared delusion. This is a fact, it is not arguable and cannot be devalued by half of a rule where the other half indicates a duty to warn the public. Our country is at risk of more terrorism and fear mongering and harm if we do not heed Dr. Lee. It is unreal how much push back against her truth she is facing.” – C.K., LCSW
“Known for its dedication to academic freedom, terminating the services of a highly intelligent faculty member who made knowledge of Donald Trump’s dangerousness accessible to a lay population, Yale’s current actions are inconsistent with its past edict. Prior to her termination, Yale embraced Dr. Lee’s First Amendment rights and had no difficulty with her demonstration of free speech and independent thinking. We believe that Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated and recognized for her service to humanity and as a role model for students of true democracy in action.” – L.H., Ph.D.
“It is a dangerous practice to forbid public discussion of a public figures´ fitness to serve. In the case of Dr. Lee, her courage and integrity in entering public discussion regarding the observable behavior and practices of a public leader should be applauded. With daily media coverage of an important leader over time, behavior patterns should certainly be open for discussion. Dr. Lee noted publicly observable behavior patterns. One would hope Yale would support Dr. Lee’s First Amendment rights to speak over the use of the ‘Goldwater Rule.’ If we muzzle our intelligent, independent thinkers, who will warn us of danger? Obviously, the attack on the Capitol did not occur without any precipitating factors.” – B.K., psychiatric social worker
“A professional of Dr. Lee’s caliber recognizes that diagnoses are based largely on behaviors evident over an long period of time. That she arrived at the noted conclusions should hopefully allow you and the institution you represent feel you are protected by her honesty, accuracy and advocacy.” – A.H., social work and psychiatric social research
“Yale was wrong in this case. Dr. Bandy Lee did not deserve to be fired. Yale should reinstate Dr. Lee.” – J.R., Ph.D.
“I was not a co-author of this letter, but I found it to be spot-on and feel it is an ethical obligation to support the principles it articulates!” – D.F., Ph.D.
“Yale and APA are outdated institutions dedicated to maintaining the status quo.” – M.B., LMFT
“Please reverse this very wrong decision.” – P.A., professor
“Dr. Lee has done a great service to the country and to the entirety of mental health providers and their affiliated organizations and all governmental organizations in alerting them of key concerns regarding the mental and physical health (and evaluation) of our leaders as their behavior and decisions can have a significant impact on the safety and health of all people of our country (and the world).” – F.B., M.S.W., Ed.D.
“It is inappropriate to apply the Goldwater rule to an assessment of dangerousness. I am a lifetime distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and I am telling you as a professional that it is completely reasonable and within our rights as psychiatrists to ask for an evaluation of dangerousness on people whom we have not examined personally. Appropriate assessment of dangerousness might well have prevented the daily violence that is an epidemic in the United States. I fully support Dr. Lee and agree that former President Trump should be professionally evaluated as a danger to himself, the nation, and the world.” – J.L., M.D.
“It is very disappointing that Yale would terminate the services of such an important mind. She has served the public and warned the public of Donald Trump’s dangerous pathology. If more had listened and championed her message, we would be a more perfect union. Yale’s current actions are inconsistent with its past edict, and my family (which includes a Yale alum.) is very disappointed in the decision. We would like to see this reversed.” – V.M., M.P.H., public health coordinator
“I find it outrageous that instead of lauding Dr. Lee for her patriotic service to America, she has been fired from Yale. I hope you will reconsider this unfortunate decision, which smacks of Neo-McCarthyism. No doubt Yale faculty and donors will continue to be watching. Thank you.” – G.L., Ph.D.
“This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice! Shame on you!” – L.F., M.D.
“Dr Bandy Lee should be commended for her ethics and brilliance!” – D.Z., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee is courageous and should be re-instated. Your actions against her are reprehensible.” – D.E., Ph.D.
“In my opinion, a psychiatrist publicly commenting on the President’s manifest behavior without using diagnostic terminology does not violate the Goldwater Rule. Rather, it is similar to the situation wherein a psychiatrist must submit an affidavit in support of involuntary hospitalization when he/she is not the treating physician but has witnessed evidence that the person is a danger to self or others. It is completely ethical and professional in that case to report observations. It also leaves the psychiatric evaluation to be done by a different doctor who is the one who arrives at a diagnosis and recommends treatment. In my opinion, Dr. Lee did nothing wrong and should be reinstated.” – R.G., M.D.
“Please do the right thing as a great institution of higher learning and reinstate Dr.Bandy Lee.” – W.J., M.D.
“We need to preserve free speech, especially against tyrants.” – E.F., M.D.
“As an academician and psychoanalyst for years, I find the termination of Dr. Bandy Lee’s appointment based on such questionable grounds entirely inappropriate.” – S.M., Ph.D.
“I wish that Dr. Lee’s courage and voice will prevail over the systemic fear which drove Yale institution to hide and abandon one of their social advocates.” – B.V., AMFT
“Dr. Lee should be reinstated which would be consistent with the values and mission of Yale University’s educational strictures of truth and integrity.” – S.A., psychologist
“In this case the duty to warn superseded any other ethical considerations. Modern media provides more than enough clinical data to make a mental status evaluation.” – L.R., M.D.
“Dr Lee’s case seems more about academic freedom than professional misconduct, especially as she was dismissed on the strength of Alan Dershowitz’s complaints.” – E.Z., Ph.D.
“Please reinstate Dr. Bandy. She did this nation a great service!” – J.L., psychoanalyst
“Bandy Lee should not be punished for expressing her political views. Yale should support academic freedom of speech.” – D.S., M.D.
“Dr. Lee is among the best of us.” – D.G., Psy.D.
“The termination of Dr. Lee, who was writing as an observer of behavior, rather than as a professionally-employed diagnostician, was thoroughly misguided and detrimental to principles of free speech. Please re-instate her. It will be evidence that learned people are able to admit their mistakes, something this society badly needs as an example.” – M.S., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee’s freedom of speech has been violated by her dismissal. This is totally unacceptable.” – A.E., Ph.D.
“Dr. Bandy Lee is exemplary for her expert, discerning, and courageous effort to help the U.S. contend with a profoundly disturbed governmental official, the former president of the U.S., who, as we all are aware, held in his hands nothing less than the power to destroy life on this earth. I strongly urge Yale University to reinstate Dr. Lee to her teaching position, with honorable recognition and appreciation of and for her remarkable, deeply touching and sincere efforts to make the highest level of professional expertise available to this nation in a dangerous situation, as the events of January 6th, 2021 explosively demonstrated. Given the dangers that this country continues to face, and the real possibility of highly disturbed individuals continuing to gain and hold public office, the psychiatric profession must review and bring up to date its ideas of the professional responsibility to inform and protect. Dr. Lee is urgently needed in this effort, which cannot help challenging age-old prejudices and taboos that define the boundaries between public life and psychological realities. This will require considerable professional reflection and public education. The distinguished institution of Yale University should be—and needs to be—an outstanding institution in this struggle for human enlightenment. Because it is so urgent, allow me to repeat myself: Dr. Bandy Lee should be on the Yale faculty to help lead this effort.” – R.H., professor at Long Island University
“I helped write the American Psychological Association’s ethics code. The American Psychiatric Association’s Section 7.3 in the Principles of Medical Ethics (known as the Goldwater Rule) states: ‘[I]t is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorization for such a statement.’
1. It is only a guild’s anachronistic ethic that is open to debate and has no legal authority. A lot has changed since this ethic was enacted in 1973.
2. The American Psychological Association’s (2010) Ethics Code states:
(a) Psychologists base the opinions contained in their recommendations, reports, and diagnostic or evaluative statements, including forensic testimony, on information and techniques sufficient to substantiate their findings. (See also Standard 2.04, Bases for Scientific and Professional Judgments.)
(b) Except as noted in 9.01c, psychologists provide opinions of the psychological characteristics of individuals only after they have conducted an examination of the individuals adequate to support their statements or conclusions. When, despite reasonable efforts, such an examination is not practical, psychologists document the efforts they made and the result of those efforts, clarify the probable impact of their limited information on the reliability and validity of their opinions, and appropriately limit the nature and extent of their conclusions or recommendations. (See also Standards 2.01, Boundaries of Competence, and 9.06, Interpreting Assessment Results.)
(c) When psychologists conduct a record review or provide consultation or supervision and an individual examination is not warranted or necessary for the opinion, psychologists explain this and the sources of information on which they based their conclusions and recommendations.” – R.G., Ph.D.
“This is not the direction that we can go during this time to dismiss Dr. Lee. Yale needs to have some backbone.” – B.B., counselor
“It is time we stop punishing learned professionals from speaking the truth!” – F.M., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee should be seen as an asset to Yale because she is an excellent forensic psychiatrist and teacher. She is well published etc. Her dismissal seems a vindictive punitive action for political reasons. Yale and education should be above that.” – L.H., M.D.
“From what I reads, Dr. Bandy Lee should be reinstated. I could not disagree more with what Dr. Liebermam reportedely said, his positions notwithstanding. Is this really about federal grants? ‘Follow the money.’” – G.J., M.D.
“As a graduate of Yale (class of ’83) I feel especially dismayed by Yale’s mismanagement of the circumstances leading to the termination of Dr. Lee. Please correct this wrong as it is the right thing to do to rehabilitate your reputation as a fair and just institution committed to the principles of democracy.” – R.T., M.D.
“Shame on Yale. Dr. Lee should be lauded and admired for her efforts to serve and save our country, by calling out the danger posed by the ex-president. Just look at Jan 6th!” – L.W., LCSW
“As a YMS ’77 graduate and daughter of YMS ’42 graduate who was on the Yale psychiatry faculty for more than 50 years, I urge you to redeem Yale and reinstate Dr.Lee.” – R.R., M.D.
“Although I do not know the details of Dr. Lee’s termination from Yale, my sense is that her focus was not on diagnosing but ‘duty to warn’ as an authoritative professional deeply concerned about the level of danger posed by a leader responsible for the lives of millions. It seems to me that this is or should be a professional as well as citizen’s responsibility and right. Given that, and if the above was the basis for her firing, I would hope that at the least the Yale administration would reconsider its verdict regarding Dr. Lee.” – K.S., Ph.D.
“For the sake of democracy and justice, Dr. Lee must be reinstated.” – L.L., M.Ed., P.C.
“I am shocked that Yale has chosen to punish Dr. Lee who has only sought to warn the public of the dangers of Donald Trump. Where would the country be if, in the face of Covid-19 the virologists and epidemiologists in this country were silenced? Your actions make no sense and seem punitive.” – M.H., psychologist
“I stand with my colleagues in supporting Dr. Bandy Lee’s reinstatement. It is very disturbing that at a time in our history where more and more people are understanding the importance of speaking out against abuses of power (recent verdict in Chauvin trial, for example) that Yale would stand with reactionary ideology and not support Dr. Lee. Please right this egregious wrong.” – D.W., psychoanalyst
“Dr. Lee did not violate the Goldwater Rule. Of all the Ivy league institutions, Yale should be the last to react in such fashion, a school with a long history on quotas.” – U.A., Ph.D.
“It would hardly be possible, outside of the Third Reich or Stalinist Russia, to find a case where a historically immense case of negligent homicide caused its most notable predictor to get fired. Yet Yale has earned this distinction, bootlickers extraordinaire for the APA. Contemptible.” – A.C., psychologist
“I am disappointed in Yale’s lack of support of Dr. Lee and her work. I would be honored to associate her with my alma mater as a voice for truth.” – N.A., Yale Ph.D. ’80
“In light of the 570,000 deaths due to the very personality traits in Donald Trump addressed by Dr. Bandy Lee, it is the least that Yale can do to reinstate her. What they owe her isn’t just re-instatement with back pay but a HUGE apology and admission that she was not only correct but trying to protect all of us.” – J.A., M.D.
“The Goldwater Rule cannot be used to overrule the duty to public health. This brave woman should be honored, not fired.” – L.J., Ph.D.
“Reinstate Dr. Lee now.” – A.S., M.D.
“Terminating her is a violation of the First Amendment.” – M.A., psychoanalyst
“Dr. Bandy Lee had the courage to speak out for the public good when a malignant narcissist controlled our government. This should not be punished.” – M.P., psychologist
“I believe that Dr. Bandy Lee was singled out and punished by Yale University for speaking out and writing about the past president of the United States whose behaviors threatened the democracy of this great country. In my opinion, her teaching position at Yale should be reinstated.” – C.W., Ph.D., Psy.D.
“I strongly recommend she be reinstated.” – D.S., M.D.
“Sometimes, years of bizarre public behavior are enough to recognize an individual’s danger!” – J.F., director of addiction services
“Dr. Lee has been a professional conscience to us all. I do not feel that Tweets of a non-violent non-hate kind are a cause for dismissal nor suspension. I urge reconsideration and re-appointment. This is utterly required for professional academic honesty.” – J.S., associate clinical professor of University of California (Irvine) Medical Center
“Dr. Lee is an amazing psychiatrist and public health advocate. Her reinstatement is paramount for justice, fairness, and healing.” – R.C., LCSW
“Yale is showing anachronistic authoritarianism in this decision to fire Dr. Lee. It is on the wrong side of history and will be facing acute embarrassment, shame, and diminution of its stature as a place of education if it does not reconsider this action.” – D.D., former faculty and president of Baltimore Washington Center for Psychology at Georgetown University School of Medicine
“Dr. Bandy Lee represents me and my views. Stop her unfair treatment with your rigid interpretation of the Goldwater Rule to shoot down the open discussion of a terrible threat to humanity. As professionals it is also our duty to warn and educate the public regarding the danger of a pathological leader mesmerizing all those who are drawn to him because he legitimizes their little inner dictator.” – S.S., psychoanalyst
“Dr. Lee is a courageous and fair-minded member of our profession. Yale should be proud to have her on faculty.” – A.R., psychologist
“The White House medical staff needs to include an independent mental health specialist to support the President in his/her stressful duties as well as to monitor his/her fitness to carry out the many demands in crisis situations.” – L.Z., Ph.D.
“The ‘Goldwater Rule’ would protect Hitler and punish professionals who analyzed his behavior. It is a poorly thought-out policy. Since Freud, case studies have been based on news, media, biographies, letters, etc. In-person interviews are not the only and sometimes not even the best source of professional knowledge and insight.” – P.R., D.S.W.
“Dr. Lee’s work is valuable to all humanity. She should be reinstated immediately.” – S.T., LCSW
“Expert voices should not be censured or silenced, especially when our country and the world faced such danger.” – M.B., Psy.D.
“Please reinstate Dr. Lee. We need more professionals who can address the corruption we are seeing in America. If democracy is to survive we need experts to guide us by shining a light on the truth.” – G.T., professional mental health counselor
“Experts speaking truth cannot be censored!! Why were those that were upset used lies and inappropriate language and were not dismissed? Clearly, our country was in danger under that leadership and those opposed who were courageous enough to speak the truth are removed? Is that democracy? It isn’t difficult to see the truth! Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated especially if there is any hope for the institution to reclaim credibility. Apologize, reinstate her, and learn from this egregious error!” – H.M., Ph.D.
“I also think that Dr. Lee serves as an important role model for students. She is passionate about the subject she teaches and has gone to extraordinary lengths in following her conscience.” – E.E., psychoanalyst
“I am appalled at the dismissal of someone who has clearly balanced professional ethics appropriately and acted in a way that is a testament to her profession and her character. Her dismissal is a testament to the character of the organization. This should be fixed immediately.” – L.H., school psychologist
“Dr. Bandy X. Lee has been a fearless leader in the mental health profession about the danger presented by the former president and the white supremacist movement. As a nationally certified speech language pathologist through the American Speech and Hearing Association licensed in three states, I looked on in horror at hundreds of hours of video recordings of the former president. He should have been disqualified as a candidate in 2016. Clearly, there is an overabundance of fear in speaking truth to power. Dr. Lee should be not only reinstated in her position but upheld and lauded as a heroine—as she risked her life and livelihood to put forth her professional and informed opinions about the danger the former president presented to the world.” – M.M., speech-language pathologist
“Dr. Bandy Lee’s bravery and courage during a time of national crisis deserved recognition and support, not punishment. Her leadership in speaking out has brought attention to a critical issue and national emergency that is not yet resolved. She deserves reinstatement, as well as the full, unwavering support of those around her.” – S.Y., Ph.D.
“Terminating Dr. Lee is the epitome of what is wrong with our society. When our highest educational institutions fail to support open speech‚ particularly speech that is backed up by science, we are succumbing to power of the worst kind. You need to right this wrong. Now.” – N.S., therapist
“Dr. Lee recognized Donald J. Trump was a danger to the nation. Hundreds of thousands are dead due to the nature of his pathology. If not now, when would be the appropriate time for professionals to ring the warning bell? Never? When genocide begins? There needs to be a standard set to identify when it is appropriate for a medical professional to speak up. Dr. Lee rightfully identified the standard and did what had to be done. It’s not an matter of if another Hitler comes along it is WHEN. Is Yale and the APA going to sit back and watch it happen? I hope not. The status of Dr. Lee at Yale needs to be rectified.” – R.P., LMHC
“Dr. Lee must be reinstated! If not, Yale loses my respect as an institution of learning!” – C.S., M.D.
“I support Dr. Bandy Lee.” – H.L., professor
“Dr. Lee is courageous and should be re-instated. Your actions against her are misguided. Dr. Lee is fighting for our democracy, which is under threat.” – R.S., licensed psychologist
“I am a member of World Mental Health Coalition and a defender of first amendment and academic freedom in Bandy Lee’s case.” – J.S., L.P., LCAT
“Dr. Bandy Lee conducted herself with integrity and an ethical commitment to speak out on behalf of the public and democracy. Yale needs to demonstrate the same and stand by Dr. Lee.” – J.G., Ph.D.
“Dr. Bandy Lee had a duty to warn the public about the mental status of Donald Trump. She should be reinstated and rewarded for her courage. Every observation she made was accurate.” – L.C., alcohol and drug mental health substance abuse (ADSAC) facilitator
“In this situation, as most, silence is violence. Speaking up expresses the inherent politics in the role of mental health practitioners and their duty to warn and do no harm. I am grateful for the courage and sacrifice made by Dr. Lee and have learned much from reading her work and following her commentary over this past year. I hope she is celebrated, supported and well compensated for this. My biggest fear is to be a good German‚ pre-Holocaust. We all need actionable ways to speak out and prevent future tragedy, injustice and ways to defend democracy. Thank you.” – S.N., L.P.C.
“The only thing Dr. Lee is guilty of is exposing how archaic the ‘Goldwater Rule’ is.” – K.H., psychologist
“Yale should be ashamed. If there is not hindsight now into the impact that the lack of protected ability to comment on Trump’s psychological state has taken, there is little hope on how to move forward. History will not be kind. The consequences continue to impact real people on a daily basis.” – O.G., M.D.
“Dr. Lee has done a significant service for all facets of the mental health profession. Please reinstate this valuable asset to your faculty. Her absence is Yale’s loss, a profound one at that.” – T.G., psychologist
“Dr. Lee was consistently right in her assessment of the dangers of having a sociopath for president as well as accurately predicting how he would and did behave as time went on. She is a truth teller and reasoned, articulate, highly skilled professional who deserves to be reinstated at Yale, as she is a model for principled behavior and as such, an excellent instructor.” – B.M., Psy.D.
“The regents and board of Yale University should be completely ashamed of themselves for trying to squash free speech. If an institution of higher learning does not support such a constitutional right because they are at the mercy of ideological contributors to the University and they are not worth the diplomas they issue. Reinstate Bandy Lee. Her voice and they are you in legitimacy to the original purpose of higher education. Don’t allow her to become a sham business based on ideological obstructionists and anti-democratic principles.” – K.S., LMFT
“Dr. Lee had the courage to speak the truth regarding the presidency of Donald Trump and his lack of qualifications for the office on every level. As an alumna of Yale I am ashamed of the action of the university and strongly call for her reinstatement.” – S.C., Ph.D.
“I am deeply worried about our society when people who have a clear pattern of sociopathy are revered. It is incumbent upon us as professionals to speak truth to power especially when it affects an entire nation. Please reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee to her rightful position so that she can continue to shed light upon so much darkness in our world. When an esteemed University does not allow free speech and blocks an important truth to be spoken speaks to the pathology, fear and weakness of their leadership. Rise above your fear and do what is right. Allow truth to be spoken to power!” – S.D., LMHC
“I have great respect for Bandy Lee, M.D., M.Div. and am very disappointed and shocked about Yale’s decision. She has made major contributions of excellence educating the public about important, significant societal and mental health issues of grave concern. She has and should continue to enrich your faculty.” – L.M., LCSW
“I think Dr. Lee did the psychiatric community a great service by instigating debate over the Goldwater rule which she called a trade rule. I think she is open to serious academic and clinical challenge in the spirit of growth and learning but sidelining her doesn’t accomplish that.” – J.M., M.D.
“Yale University’s Mission Statement: ‘Yale is committed to improving the world today and for future generations through outstanding research and scholarship, education, preservation, and practice. Yale educates aspiring leaders worldwide who serve all sectors of society. We carry out this mission through the free exchange of ideas in an ethical, interdependent, and diverse community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni.’ REALLY?? Dr. Lee epitomizes the mission of Yale. The attempt to paint her as some rogue psychiatrist is disingenuous and ugly.” – M.W., LMHC
“I would think that both critical thinking and speaking truth to power as evidenced by Dr. Lee’s words and actions, backed by the agreement and the approval of mental health professionals worldwide would be to her credit. Yale’s actions in this regard have been reprehensible. It is my hope that she will be reinstated should she wish to return to Yale. Thank you.” – C.G., registered clinical counsellor
“The Goldwater Rule is so last century. We can all see the psychopathy and we all have the same duty to warn. The psychopathy has now metastasized and we have the most dangerous political situation in modern times currently going on partly because mental health professionals were gagged over this.” – P.R., LPCC
“She exercised her First Amendment right and did not violate any of Yale’s credentials and in fact enhanced Yale’s reputation for being a truthful voice. If the world has listened to her voice and the 27 other psychiatrists., we would not have had January 6.” – R.D., M.D.
“Dr. Lee spoke out regarding an individual who blatantly demonstrated his dangerousness to others. Yale U. should absolutely reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee, and treasure and praise her professional insight and nobility of human spirit. Nevertheless, Mark Twain’s comments regarding common sense seem more true now than before: ‘The one thing I know about common sense is that it’s not common.’ Too many in our psychiatric/psychological fields have touted flawed and bizarre theories and practices that encourage dangerous narcissism and cruelty towards others. Those who perpetuate these trends need to cease doing so, or civil society will perish at the hands of those in whom they encourage behaviors like D. Trump continues to exhibit.” – S.H., LCSW
“Dr. Lee should be celebrated for speaking truth about a troubled and harmful leader.” – K.S., LMHC
“Please reinstate Dr. Lee.” – M.W., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee helped me to clarify my ambivalence re public comments about President Trump. I am distressed about the Yale decision re: Dr. Lee.” – P.S., M.D.
“Dr. Lee has been a true advocate for disclosing dangerous mental health disorders in public officials.” – J.S., licensed educational psychologist
“Just wrong and anti-academic.” – C.C., LCSW
“Dr. Bandy Lee should be hailed as a hero!” – A.K., LCSW
“I believe it is the foremost duty of each of us trained in psychological healing and sworn to upholding the highest standards of care and practice to speak out strongly and authoritatively when our training informs us of clear and present hazards to the wellbeing of our communities. Bandy Lee has seen clearly, as many of us have, the very real threat of the worst of our human history repeating itself once again through the malignancy of the Trump administration. Lee chose not to be a bystander and out of conscience found the courage to speak out about her founded concerns with the aim of having a public dialogue about patterns that cannot afford silence. It is now incumbent upon Yale to find its own courage and integrity by standing proudly by your faculty like Bandy Lee who have had the courage to speak honestly and courageously on what her training and her humanity informs her she must. Your decision here as an institution will be judged soon enough by history.” – S.H., Ph.D.
“Bandy is a credit to Yale … something that the person who removed her was NOT, at least as far as her termination is concerned.” – L.M., LMHC
“The Goldwater no longer stands in this day and age of video and social media. Many psychiatrists around the world support Dr. Lee.” – L.C., M.D.
“The firing of Dr. Lee differs not at all from the Church’s primitive and barbaric treatment of Galileo. As physicians we all have the ethical duty to warn others of threats to their health and well-being. She did nothing wrong, but those who would obstruct honest and responsible exercise of professional activities will be forever culpable of unethical and harmful practices. Mitigation requires at least public apology and reversal of cowardly practices masquerading as transparently false pseudodethics. If Dr. Bandy Lee deigns to serve on your faculty again, acquire the humility to thank her on behalf of 500,000 dead and thousands of family separations.” – E.I., M.D.
“Dr. Lee used her professionalism and skill to exercise her duty to warn against a very real and urgent threat to our democracy and our freedom. She should be reinstated and praised for her courage and acumen!” – D.D., LCSW
“It was shocking to hear that Yale fired Dr. Bandy Lee. This is a miscarriage of justice. The merits of the Goldwater Rule have been discussed in the scholarly literature and in some cases, it is appropriate to break given the appropriate expertise and a moral and social failure to keep silent. Please show the kind leadership usually associated with Yale and reinstate Dr. Lee. Every colleague I know and I will support that.” – T.H., L.P.C.
“This is in support of the enclosed petition regarding the need to reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee. I am a Brown, Harvard, UC-Berkeley and Duke trained psychologist. I have provided many years of psychological services and have taught 100’s of mental health practitioners. Dr. Lee stands out as a PROFILE IN COURAGE AND OUTSTANDING SCHOLAR AND PRACTITIONER. Please reconsider your decision to terminate her. Thank you!” – T.J., psychologist
“Dr. Lee has provided a vital public health service. Her sharing her psychological knowledge has helped create a path for healing and strengthening of our democracy.” – J.T., LCSW
“I’m guessing Galileo et al. would recognize the administration at Yale. Shame.” – J.M., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee should not be punished because a privileged white male bully insists that she be fired. She has made a major contribution to our country in taking on a despotic, dangerous regime.” – D.M., M.D.
“Bandy has courageously and ethically spoken about the dangers we are still experiencing via ex-President Trump. He presented a clear and imminent threat to individuals and our democracy. Reinstate her—she deserves honors!” – J.S., Ph.D., fellow at Harvard Medical School
“My daughter will receive her doctorate degree from Yale within the year. The termination of Dr. Lee casts a shadow upon the institution.” – C.M., psychologist
“Dr. Bandy Lee spoke on behalf of a nation struggling to come to terms with threats we were unaccustomed to dealing with. She provided thoughtful and hopeful perspectives when we needed them most. To try to silence her was and continues to be disgraceful.” – M.H., LMFT
“Dr. Lee offered an invaluable service to the American public through her books and lectures. She took great care with her language, and her evaluation of the former president’s behavior (and that of his associates) was entirely appropriate.” – D.B., LCSW, psychoanalyst
“I strongly disagree with the APA’s doubling down on the Goldwater rule, and using it as a gag rule to try to silence the bravest among us, including Dr. Bandy Lee; the APA appears to try to prevent those of us, including Dr. Lee, with the expertise and insight from educating the public about real danger or potential for danger posed by unfit leaders, as did many of my psychiatry colleagues. The idea behind the Goldwater rule of 1973 was that it would not be right for psychiatrists to comment on patients we had not actually seen because we would not have adequate information in order to assess a politician as we would have or could get about our own patients. The Goldwater rule appropriately restricted commentary about political leaders in a time when psychiatrists didn’t have enough information about politicians to be able to make accurate assessments of them. Information almost 50 years ago was very sparse compared with the present day. In contrast, Donald Trump has had a heavy media presence for decades, and in order to assess Donald Trump for psychopathology, psychiatrists would have to extrapolate from available data far less than we typically have to extrapolate from information available about our real patients. Indeed, there are plenty of data available to all of us about Trump to adequately answer questions relevant to assessing whether there is psychopathology, including personality pathology, that suggest that we should all be concerned about the issues Dr. Lee so astutely identified and so bravely drew attention to. I have personally followed Trump’s career for over 30 years, and had read 4 biographies of him by the time he took office; I have observed more of his behavior, and I have heard the perspectives of more of his peers, acquaintances, and family members than I have for any of my patients. Any psychiatrist who has not seen enough footage of Trump to assess whether he has personality traits that warrant further clinical evaluation to further assess for fitness to serve as POTUS could fill in the gaps with a quick internet search. We psychiatrists often make diagnoses and treatment decisions after spending far less time observing our patients than we have seen of Trump. Certainly, I have observed more of Trump’s behavior than I have of any of my own patients. Further, with some of Trump’s personality issues, I would be negligent if he were my patient if I were to base his personality assessment on whatever he told me in a psychiatric interview rather than on my observations and collateral information, as he frequently lies when asked directly questions to which the truth would be self-incriminating. So, even if Trump had been my patient, my assessment would have required me to interpret and incorporate collateral and historic information, such as that available to all of us in abundance, as Dr. Lee has done.
“So, the APA’s stance on Dr. Lee’s commentary about Trump is controversial at best, and the APA’s attempts to censor her should have sparked criticism from Yale, rather than influencing Yale’s decision to terminate her. Apparently many Yale alumni agree with me on this, and I can relate to the embarrassment expressed by alumni in letters to the Yale newspaper. I proudly believe that none of the prestigious universities I have attended would boldly take such an anti-intellectual stand as Yale has with its termination of Dr. Lee. Further, I would like to believe that if they had erred as egregiously as Yale has they would quickly reverse the decision, issue a formal apology, and invite her to return, as I strongly believe Yale should do now.
“One of our universities’ most important societal roles is to protect the speech of our most controversial intellectuals and scholars. Dr. Lee has been one of my personal inspirations for the past five years. She has risen time after time to many challenges that we as communities (medical community, psychiatry/mental health community, academic community, community of good people of the USA) should have all risen to in the face of the misinformation and dangerous behavior by our political leaders in recent years. Dr. Lee has provided valuable leadership and wisdom that was sorely needed and would have been conspicuously absent without her despite pressure to stand idly by when she knew (as so many of us agree) that doing what she did was the right thing to do. I had gained respect for Yale because she was there that has since been lost.
“How can Yale’s unfair, unjust, and unwarranted termination of Dr. Lee not discourage and disillusion those of us who believed better of Yale? Perhaps this is Yale’s way of separating itself from the remaining great universities by announcing to the world that protection of scholars and experts who take the moral high road when it is politically controversial to do so is no longer something Yale values or even tolerates. I want you to know that the world is watching.
“Either way, I will personally continue to look to Dr. Lee for the professional leadership and wisdom we will all need in the coming years.” – R.G., M.D.
“Her freedom of speech should be honored!” – Z.S., M.D.
“Dr. Lee must be reinstated and we as psychiatrists must take a more critical look at the Goldwater rule.” – K.S., M.D.
“I believe that Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated and recognized for her service to humanity and as a role model for students of true democracy in action.” – S.F., D.O.
“This is poorly thought out and inappropriate. Please reinstate Dr. Lee.” – K.F., D.O.
“Please do the right thing, reinstate Dr. Lee.” – E.S., LMFT
“The Goldwater rule is a standard; however, to apply here is to ignore the exigent circumstances which led to an avoidance of it. Had people actually heeded the manifesto at the outset, we might not be in a polarized America situation of this magnitude.” – R.R., psychologist
“In support of free speech that pushes us to reflect on the workings of our society, even when uncomfortable or disagreeable, I urge you to reinstate Dr. Lee.” – H.L., M.D.
“Dr. Lee had the courage to stand up for the truth. She should not be penalized for refusing to be silenced.” – R.P., M.D.
“I believe a forensic expert on dangerousness like Dr. Lee has a duty to warn. She should be reinstated, please.” – S.H., Ph.D., M.Ed.
“Dr. Lee deserves to be reinstated and recognized for her service to humanity and as a role model for students of true democracy in action.” – H.B., LMFT
“She was right all along. People should have listened. You most of all.” – P.L., M.D.
“We need justice. We need to see Dr. Lee reinstated.” – C.C., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee has educated the public about the dangers of allowing pathology to go unchecked in someone with the power and ability to do harm and the impact on society. We are seeing her predictions play out. She should be reinstated.” – S.D., LCSW
“Right this wrong. She demonstrated her commitment to the mental health profession and her duty to the citizens of The United States when she spoke truth to power. She understood she was ethically bound to her country and her people. Stop the silencing of the mental health community. Let us do our job.” – A.H., Ph.D.
“I appreciate that Dr. Lee exercised her duty to warn concerning the competence and dangerousness of Donald Trump. I respectfully submit that her termination be reconsidered and that she should be reinstated.” – C.M., LMFT
“Dr Lee is a role model on professional courage and integrity. I do not understand why you would choose to dissociate from her.” – L.O., LCSW
”It is crazy that we can easily talk about medical illness but appear to be frightened about talking about mental illness. Dr. Bandy Lee is a pioneer and I’m very proud of her. Please reinstate.” – L.F., LMFT
“I am writing on behalf of Dr Lee. As a citizen who is alarmed and concerned about the broad implications to our mental health while living within a controlling Patriarchy, I see that you have acted within that archaic and abusive model. I am urging you to make amends and re-instate Dr Lee. She has shown enormous bravery and is tireless in her service to us, the citizens of this country. She has demonstrated a rare courage and integrity while you have shown that age old story. If someone actually cares, they will pay for not playing the game. Dr Lee has earned my respect by acting in the best interests of the public.” – K.F., therapist
“Yale does its reputation no small amount of damage by its treatment of Dr. Lee.” – A.H., researcher
“Dr. Bandy Lee fulfilled her duty with integrity and diligence. Her expertise was mission critical in helping our country understand the trouble we were facing and she was always correct with her predictions of danger. If anything Yale should definitely honor her work for humanity and against violence. If you have any self-respect, you will take her back. Firing her was the wrong thing to do. Make it right and bring her back. Dershowitz is not valued or credible. Look at his involvement with the child sex abuser Epstein.” – L.Z., RN
“Dear President Peter Salovey: I support the reinstatement and recognition of Dr. Bandy Lee for her dedicated work to educate the American society about mental health, and as a role model for the students of true democracy in action.” – S.H., clinical psychotherapist
“Over a half a million Americans died due to our former president’s unwillingness to accept reality. Mental health clinicians observed this symptom of his personality disorder throughout his term. Blood will be on Yale’s hands if/when this happens again. Precedent must be set. If anything, Dr Lee should have spoken out more. We all should have.” – J.S., LMHC
“Dr. Lee is lauded and respected by truth tellers everywhere. Yale’s action to silence and separate her is chilling for every remaining doctor who works for the Common Good.” – A.M., Assistant professor of University of Maryland
“Instead of terminating Dr. Lee, Yale should be nominating her for a ‘profile in courage’ award for speaking the truth about Donald Trump, our 45th president who incited a riot on the U.S. Capitol because he didn’t like the result of the election. Reinstate Dr. Lee and stand for free speech and academic freedom and resist ‘cancel culture.’” – R.L., M.D., health sciences clinical professor
“In this dark chapter of American history, there were few that had the courage to speak truth to power. Dr. Lee did so, and was one of the few consistent voices of reason in unreasonable times. Why then, Yale University, dismiss someone who has earned their place in the annals of history for doing the right thing? The presence of opposing forces steadies a house. And a nation. And let’s be honest, a university as well. We may not always like its form and format, but it carries us through the long night. Do the right thing. Don’t leave this matter for the next in line to posthumously solve, safety behind the guise of ‘well, it wasn’t us.’ Do what’s necessary. It’s your watch after all.” – C.M., D.O.
“Dr. Lee was a NEEDED voice of reason and sanity in the age of insanity (aka: Trump administration).” – S.S., LCSW
“Dr. Lee tried to warn and protect society by sharing the truth about psychopathology in politics. For her courage she should be promoted not punished.” – B.B., Ph.D., medical school faculty
“For the sake of our nation, the Goldwater Rule needs to be challenged. Dr. Lee is the only person that has acknowledged this. Our nation is battling psychological warfare because the leader of the free world displayed unhealthy and dangerous rhetoric. This can and should be prevented by abolishing the Goldwater Rule for the safety of our nation in the future. Yale University should do the right thing and acknowledge the work of Dr. Lee. She has committed her life to the study AND prevention of violence. Thank you.” – C.B., psychologist
“Standing against a president whose mental unfitness compromised national security in extreme ways was a professional and moral imperative. Those who seek to punish Dr. Lee are betraying the nation and the moral responsibility required at this time of crisis for our nation.” – E.S., Ph.D.
“Dr. Lee has courage and principles.” – S.M., Ph.D.
“Our democracy is under attack, as witnessed on January 6, 2021. To speak out against a person who has Presidential power to bring down the U.S. government and who shows all the symptoms of mental illness, is brave and should be commended rather than punished.” – L.R., therapist
“Dr. Lee’s credibility should have never been questioned. A Forensic Psychiatrist is the perfect person who helped us understand and live through the last 4 years!” – W.H., psychotherapist
“Really, Yale? Really? Not surprised actually. For an institution that is a leader in its field they seem afraid to stick their necks out on a not so controversial issue.” – M.C., LCSW, psychotherapist
“I would think that having esteemed professionals make the public aware of extraordinary dangerous of a President would be rewarded after the lessons of the Holocaust where the prevailing lesson was that there was nothing worse than good men standing by and doing nothing while millions were exterminated. Allowing COVID to spread knowingly while our citizens died alone was a crime against humanity and a gross dereliction of duty for which Dr. Lee should be praised and rewarded for speaking out against and trying to protect the American public.” – D.S., LCSW
“I have been a supporter of Dr. Lee since initially reading her insights about former President Trump. No one else in the mental health field has seemed as aware and outspoken, and I believe she has acted not only appropriately but with great courage and intellectual integrity.” – R.J., LCSW
“It’s your reputation that is suffering. Not hers.” – P.B., M.D.
“Reinstate Dr. Bandy Lee.” – P.A., LCSW
“Dr Lee was very clear about her intentions and purpose in alerting the public to the dangers of the psychopathological nature of the protagonists during the past four years. More of this is desperately needed. It should not be extinguished. I respectfully request Dr. Lee is reinstated at Yale accordingly.” – A.H., psychologist, educator
“Dr. Bandy Lee is correct, in all respects, and deserves to be reinstated.” – P.C., associate professor in psychology
“Dr. Lee speaks truth to power, is an obvious expert/leading advocate in her field, and should not be sidelined professionally due to institutional/national politics. Plus, Dr. Lee is on the right side of history/humanity.” – A.C., Ph.D., director of behavioral health
“I support Dr. Lee.” – M.F., M.D.
“Yale ought to be lifting her up as a shining example.” – M.M., psychologist
“First Amendment. Honesty. Honor. I guess the lack of admiration for these qualities is what makes Yale second rate lately.” – K.L., Psy.D.
“Dr. Lee should be reinstated immediately. She represents the best attributes of her profession, and she has fulfilled her obligation to try to protect the public where so many others have failed in performing that duty. Dr. Lee has been wrongfully and unjustly silenced. Only her reinstatement can rectify this.” – L.H., counselor
“Dr. Lee is fighting not only for anti-violence and mental health care, which is desperately underserved, but democracy itself. Her expertise is needed to lead the way for this country to understand where these two things—mental health and democracy—intersect.” – J.B., occupational therapist
“Dr. Bandy Lee’s efforts to identify dangerous concerns of public officials behaviors is consistent with the prevailing practices and laws re: duty to warn others of behaviors that have been professionally noted in practice and by formal research to constitute danger to others. Persons, such as physicians, so trained have a fiduciary responsibility to society.” – T.B., psychologist, rabbi
“I believe Dr. Lee should be reinstated because her actions were not, in my opinion, in violation of any laws or rules. A democracy requires all citizens to be able to discuss the qualifications and fitness of individuals to perform the duties for which they are nominated and/or elected.” – P.M., LMFT
“I strongly object to Yale’s termination of Dr. Bandy Lee. I have read the Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, which is a scholarly collection of essays about the dangerousness of former President Trump and the duty to warn the public by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. I support Dr. Lee’s First Amendment rights and there should be no censorship of her words or actions. The Goldwater Rule is outdated and irrelevant to the current political landscape. It should be scrutinized and revised to include exceptions that allow mental health professionals to exercise the duty to warn of dangerousness of public figures.” – J.J., LMFT
“I am in Dr. Lee’s corner 100%!” – K.H., LMHC
“Dr. Bandy Lee brought her incredibly probing, prescient knowledge and her moral courage to a nation and world when we needed it most. In ways that are ahead of its time and that few yet fully grasp, including Yale, she recognized, in the most laser-focused way, the main source of a democracy in peril. And she correctly predicted and warned that he would produce hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths, which she tried so righteously and vigorously to prevent. As with all thinkers who are ahead of their time, one day people will catch up, grasp, study, and write about Dr. Lee’s remarkable contributions, which are of world-historical significance, and Yale will take great pride in its association with her. Why not reinstate Dr. Lee—and show a modicum of the courage and leadership that she has shown—by standing by her sooner rather than later?” – N.N., Yale Ph.D.
“Psychopathic rulers throughout history have consistently posed a grave threat to humanity. Dr. Bandy Lee’s pointing this out and trying to find a way for us to avoid the continual repetition of pain and destruction through the centuries, should not be punished, but should be allowed to continue her work unimpeded, so she and others can discover a solution that citizens of the world centuries from now will thank us for. If there are disagreements about her perspectives, they should be discussed and debated, not silenced. If not in academia, where can the free debate of ideas occur?” – M.B., psychologist, neuroscientist
“Dr. Lee is an outstanding humanitarian. She is being discriminated against because of her views. This is despicable behavior on the part of a university that used to be known for academic freedom.” – R.E., LCSW
June 11, 2021
Dear Dr. Lee:
I heard you interviewed on Ian Masters’ “Background Briefing” and am grateful for who you are and what you have done to safeguard our country and its people. Your depth of knowledge and keen insights are essential to our survival. You are a national treasure.
I have purchased and distributed 6 copies of Profile of a Nation to people who had been hungering for its message. I am on my second reading. I purchased The Dangerous Case but have not yet started it. Intrigued, I also purchased Violence and have read parts of it with great interest. Wow.
A person with anxiety, concern, and at times depression while in the crosshairs of mob rule, I plead with the Universe to find my role in saving our country and our planet. I will continue in this quest drawing upon your courage, strength, and tenacity.
I have a son who is very bright and is applying to college this year but not to Yale. Instead of being celebrated for sounding the alarm, you have been fired and scapegoated by the inimical oligarchs and other, connected criminal rich infecting Yale’s leadership and administration. Our country continues to be in grave danger while we brave a tragic shortfall of honest, decent, upstanding politicians in our nation’s capital and in the states.
You are a godsend.
My thoughts and appreciation are with you. And you are on my gratitude list.
Kind regards,
D.C.