Duke University has pledged to remove public access to C. W. Howell’s dissertation pending an investigation, as the repercussions of Howe’s use of a fabricated quote to attack biochemist Michael Behe continue to grow. As reported here already, New York University Press has withdrawn the first edition of the book based on Howell’s dissertation because of the fabricated material and has promised to destroy all remaining inventory before reissuing a new version without the fake quote.
On August 27, I wrote Duke University’s Office of Counsel, informing them that Howell’s book has been withdrawn by its publisher because of the fabricated quote and providing further documentation that the quote was never uttered by Behe. I also stated:
So long as Duke University makes available to the public Howell’s original dissertation, the reputational harm to Dr. Behe and Discovery Institute continues. We therefore ask that you either stop disseminating the original dissertation or you add a clear and unremovable notation in the online abstract and on page 167 of the pdf highlighting the fabricated material for the reader and making clear that the quote is a fabrication.
I received the following email today from Duke University: “We are in the process of having the dissertation removed from public access while we continue to review.”