Adjunct education professor Myron Kuropas’ trip to Ukraine as an election delegate was followed by allegations last week that Kuropas holds anti-semitic views.

“I feel I’ve been defamed,” Kuropas said.

Kuropas allegedly “accused Jews of manipulating the Holocaust for their gain and playing an ‘inordinate role’ in the rise of Soviet communism,” according to Knight Ridder reports last week.

Also last week, Democratic Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois and Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California sent a letter to President John Peters, urging NIU to renounce Kuropas’ statements.

Kuropas would not comment on allegation specifics, but said in a written statement that “never in my 18 years at NIU have I allowed any of my personal differences with certain Jewish behavior to influence my teaching in any way. I pay great attention to cultural differences on campus and I celebrate diversity.”

The allegations prompted university officials to review Kuropas’ affiliation with NIU, said Melanie Magara, assistant vice president for public affairs.

Magara said there is “no reason to believe the controversy will affect employment status.”

There is no evidence he has mixed his private views with his professional duties, she said.

NIU was unaware of Kuropas’ trip to Ukraine or of complaints against Kuropas until the news came out.

“[There was] no connection between NIU and his appearance there [in Ukraine],” she said.

In the review process, officials spoke with the department chair and dean of the College of Education.

Christine Sorensen, dean of the College of Education, would not comment on the controversy.

The American Association of University Professors specifies that when speaking or writing as a private citizen, professors are free from institutional censorship. The same guidelines apply to the Kuropas case, Magara said.

What was also understood was Kuropas is an NIU employee and his association ends there.

“Whatever he has written about Ukrainian history is unaffiliated with us [NIU],” Magara said.

Further, there have been no records of student complaints, Magara said. Kuropas is “well-regarded.”

President Peters was unavailable for comment as of press time.

In a letter to Emanuel and Waxman, Peters said Kuropas was “acting as a private citizen, and the reasons for his participation in the Ukraine trip are in no way related to his duties here at NIU.”