Junot Díaz to stay as Pulitzer board member
On Friday, the Pulitzer Prize board followed MIT’s footsteps in announcing it found no evidence for the removal of Junot Díaz, MIT professor and 2008 Pulitzer Prize winner, after an investigation of his behavior toward female students and staff. The allegations began in May when novelist Zinzi Clemmons accused Díaz of cornering and “forcibly” kissing her about six years ago.
The board’s five-month long investigation included interviews with dozens of witnesses and inspection of documents. The Boston Review also found no grounds to remove Díaz as its fiction editor after examining the allegations. MIT conducted its own investigation in May and June with members of the campus community by reaching out to his students and giving them avenues to seek help or report unwanted behavior. In addition, MIT talked to Díaz and his colleagues and ultimately found no reason to restrict Díaz in his capacity as a faculty member. He currently teaches CMS.307 Critical Worldbuilding.