Better Together

Mutual Respect and Public Disclosure Committee

Harvard Medical School is committed to a diversity of views and to principles of free inquiry and expression, consistent with the HMS Mission and Community Values. All members of the Harvard community have the right to hold and vigorously defend and promote their opinions. Ultimately, HMS seeks not to negate, overlook, deny or simply tolerate the qualities that distinguish us but aspires to understand, recognize, appreciate, and indeed, celebrate our differences.

These qualities require HMS to emphasize certain values which are essential to its nature as an academic community. Among these are freedom of speech; freedom of movement; freedom from personal intimidation, force and violence; and freedom from hate speech, which is “any form of expression through which speakers intend to vilify, humiliate or incite hatred against a group or a class of persons on the basis of race, religion, skin color, sexual identity, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or national origin.” Interference with any of these freedoms must be regarded as a serious violation of the personal rights upon which the community is based.

These values imply certain rights and responsibilities for all who attend and participate in HMS lectures, seminars, presentations or demonstrations that are held publicly, privately or virtually.

Co-Chairs

Gretchen Brodnicki
Dean for Faculty and Research Integrity
Harvard Medical School

Robert Truog
Director, Harvard Center for Bioethics
Frances Glessner Lee Professor of Legal Medicine
Professor of Anaesthesia (Pediatrics)
Harvard Medical School


Members

Carol Bates, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

Kayla Davis, Registered student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Laura DeCoste, Executive Director of Development Communications & Donor Engagement

Robert Dickson, Director of Campus Services

Xavier Du Maine, Diversity Fellow

James Gould, Director, Office for Post-Doctoral Programs and Services

Johanna Gutlerner, Associate Dean for Graduate Education

Simone Leary, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer

Willy Lensch, Executive Director, Greater Boston Consortium on Pathogen Readiness and Strategic Advisor

LaShyra Nolen, Registered student in the Medical School

Jennifer Potter, Advisory Dean and Director William Bosworth Castle Society, Professor of Medicine

Joan Reede, Dean for Diversity and Community Partnership, Professor of Medicine

Aljani Stanley, Director of Administration