Backlash to a Wall Street Journal editorial asking Jill Biden to drop the word “Dr.”

Written by Devan Cole, Sarah Mucha and Arlit Sainz, CNN

(CNN) – Northwestern University is distancing itself from a previous lecturer calling on incoming first lady Jill Biden to stop using the word “Dr.” Honorable, because she holds a doctorate in education, not a medical degree.

The school said in prof statement On Saturday he disagreed with the “anti-women views” of Joseph Epstein, a writer and former professor at the Illinois School who wrote on The Wall Street Journal published an editorial Friday Biden to drop “D.” Because “it looks like a fraud, not to say touch-comic.”

Addressing the 69-year-old Biden as “a child,” Epstein wrote in part: “A little bit of advice about what might sound small but I think it’s not the big deal. Any chance of dropping the word” Dr. Before your name? “

The university said Epstein had not been a lecturer there since 2003 – illustrating Epstein’s statement in his article that he had “taught at Northwestern University for 30 years without a doctorate or any advanced degree.”

“While we strongly support academic freedom and freedom of expression, we do not agree with Mr. Epstein’s opinion and believe that the appointment of a doctor is well deserved by anyone with a PhD, Ed. Or Doctor,” the school statement said.

Likewise, the Northwestern Department of English avoided Epstein’s comments and called them a Separate statement As an “unworthy aspiration” to Biden’s “legitimate public claim to PhDs and her expertise.”

Northwestern has also removed the Epstein profile from its website.

In response to a request for comment on Sunday, Epstein, an essay author and columnist, told CNN in an email, “No comment, aside from saying I thought I was a light humor piece, but I’m afraid there isn’t much joke in the world, especially Among the politically correct ones. “

He ended his essay by writing, “As for Ed.D., the first lady, she earned hard even though she may be, please consider storing it, at least in public, at least for now. Forget the little excitement of being Dr. Jill. And I am satisfied with the greatest excitement of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as First Lady Jill Biden. “

CNN previously reported that Biden plans to continue teaching while in his service as First Lady.

Biden spokesman, Michael LaRosa, described the opinion piece as a “disgusting and sexist attack” in tweet Addressing the editor of the magazine’s opinion pages, who called for the article to be removed.

He wrote, “If you have any respect for women at all, you will remove this hateful display of chauvinism from your newspaper and apologize to her.”

CNN has reached the Wall Street Journal for comment.

Biden received her PhD in Education from the University of Delaware in January 2007. As per her official biography. She is usually publicly addressed with “D. Honorary and official documents usually include this before her name.

CNN’s longstanding policy only refers to doctors as “Dr. in its reports, according to its style.”

Epstein met a rapid backlash online after the opinion piece was published, including from Doug Imhoff, husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who argued over tweet That it “would not have been written about a man.”

“Dr. Biden earned her degrees through hard work and pure determination. She is an inspiration to me, her students, and Americans throughout this country,” wrote Imhoff.

Chasten Buttigieg, husband of former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, also objected to Epstein’s article, expressing dissatisfaction in his own country tweet.

He wrote, “The author could have used fewer words to just say, ‘You know, in my day we didn’t have to respect women.’

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