Northwestern University Slams Joseph Epstein After Former Lecturer Criticized Dr. Jill Biden

Northwestern University does not stand by former adjunct professor Joseph Epstein after he criticized Jill Biden for using the “Dr” title although she has not received a degree in medicine.

In Epstein’s opinion piece, which was published in the Wall Street Journal, he claimed Biden’s use of the title “sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”

Epstein wrote, “Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title ‘Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.’”

The 83-year-old then advised Biden to remove the title from her name.

“A wise man once said that no one should call himself ‘Dr.’ unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc,” Epstein wrote.

After the piece was. published, Northwestern denounced Epstein’s comments and called out the former faculty member over his “misogynistic views.”

“Joseph Epstein has not been a lecturer at Northwestern since 2003,” a statement from the university read.

“While we firmly support academic freedom and freedom of expression, we do not agree with Mr. Epstein’s opinion and believe the designation of doctor is well deserved by anyone who has earned a Ph.D., an Ed.D. or an M.D. Northwestern is firmly committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Mr. Epstein’s misogynistic views.”

The English department at Northwestern University also issued a statement, slamming Epstein’s op-ed, and noted that he hasn’t taught at the school in almost two decades.

“The Department is aware that a former adjunct lecturer who has not taught here in nearly 20 years has published an opinion piece that casts unmerited aspersion on Dr. Jill Biden's rightful public claiming of her doctoral credentials and expertise,” the statement read.

“The Department rejects this opinion as well as the diminishment of anyone's duly-earned degrees in any field, from any university.”

On Sunday, Epstein claimed the article was supposed to be a somewhat humorous opinion piece.

“No comment, apart from saying that I thought mine a lightly humorous piece, but I fear there isn’t much humor in the world, especially among the politically correct,” he told CNN in an email.

Epstein went on to advise Biden to forget about the “small thrill of being Dr. Jill, and settle for the larger thrill of living for the next four years in the best public housing in the world as First Lady Jill Biden."