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Harvard reverses its decision and will now offer Kenneth Roth a fellowship

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Harvard University has changed its mind. It plans to welcome the former director of Human Rights Watch. Kenneth Roth spoke with Leila this week. He said he thought he had a fellowship to write at the university. Then he lost it because he said he had sometimes criticized Israel's human rights record.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Now, the school says it will offer Roth that fellowship. The dean at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government says Roth was rejected based on an evaluation of Roth's potential contributions to Harvard, and that initial decision was an error.

MARTÍNEZ: Roth says he's now looking forward to spending time on campus. But he added, quote, "The problem of people penalized for criticizing Israel is not limited to me."

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.