Former candidate for the House of Representatives, Art Robinson has launched a campaign against Oregon State University and US Rep Peter DeFazio of Oregon’s 4th District. Robinson published a rambling, incoherent missive in the disreputable World Net Daily news site accusing the school of being, “…controlled by ideologues, most of whom do not have Ph.D.s in nuclear engineering. Nepotistic husband-and-wife combinations and new hires of their own graduate students have brought the department under the control of unprincipled people who have enthusiastically participated in the attacks on the Robinson students and Professor Higginbotham – attacks that have violated numerous OSU academic rules, several laws and the most basic professional ethics…” and of being beholden to Peter DeFazio. Robinson also goes on to name several faculty members and accuse them of unethical behavior.

OSU has posted this response:

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Political candidate Art Robinson published material this past weekend with regard to the status of two of his adult sons and one adult daughter who are graduate students in Oregon State University’s Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics. Robinson made a number of allegations with regard to the students’ experience at OSU and further allegations regarding the university’s relationship with U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio.

Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from discussing matters concerning our students with anyone other than the student himself or herself without the express consent of the student involved. Given that, OSU will not comment on any allegation regarding the Robinson students or share any personal information concerning them other than the limited “directory information” allowed by law to be shared.

Robinson’s material singles out several individual faculty members for criticism. The university has found no factual basis for the accusations made against those faculty members. OSU is proud of its education and research programs and faculty in Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics and of department alumni, many of whom hold leadership positions in government and private sector organizations.

OSU will not comment on other allegations made in the Robinson posts other than to say the claims made therein are baseless and without merit.

As a leading public university ranked highly for its graduate student success as well as research and instructional efforts in the Dept. of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics, OSU is dedicated to excellence in its teaching, service and research missions. OSU graduate students enjoy a wide range of resources to facilitate their success academically and personally. University processes for graduate students who are experiencing difficulty in school or with personal matters are well established and readily available to every member of our graduate student body.

The relationships between graduate students and OSU faculty are highly collaborative, involving adult-to-adult communication and scientific problem solving. In each of those relationships, expectations for each party reflect the time-tested academic traditions of America’s more than 3,000 institutions of higher education.

OSU graduates nearly 1,000 graduate students each year, about one-third of whom earn doctoral or terminal degrees. For many generations, those students have typically progressed to success in the private sector, careers in public service or work within academia.

Finally, OSU works closely and routinely with elected officials at the federal, state and local level, as well as their staff members. In all of these dealings, the university adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and follows all appropriate laws governing the conduct of public universities and their representatives with governmental representatives. Any allegation to the contrary is unfounded.

Robinson lit up the internet with video from a bizarre interview with Rachel Maddow during his campaign.