I don't understand where the misdirection is in what I said. It's not like I'm actually suggesting to debate whether MLK should be forgotten: I'm making a point through comparison.
MLK being dead plays to the strength of this analogy, because Lewin is retired. Removing his lectures on OCW, recorded 15 years ago, is like refusing to read or watch MLK because of his moral failings. The issue with the MOOC on MITx, where he participated as late as last year, is different, and I would agree with barring his participation on the platform in case the transgressions are serious enough. But if you look over the discussion, it is the removal of the static, non-dynamic, incredibly popular and famous lectures on OCW that strikes many people as unjustified.
P.S. Feynman was a creep, and anyone who thinks that fact should cause people to stop reading his justly famous textbook and prefer that others "step up" is, not to put too fine a point on it, an idiot.
Plagiarism isn't illegal. Were there policies in place where MLK agreed to not plagiarize?
While on the other hand, MIT has public, written rules against sexual harassment and takes active measures to reduce sexual harassment. It's also illegal for MIT to be a workplace which allows sexual harassment.
It's a bit of a stretch then to make the comparison. Why not be more direct and use Bill Cosby as your comparison? Last I heard neither Cosby nor Lewin have been charged with any crime. And Viacom has stopped showing reruns of "The Cosby Show", last recorded 22 years ago.
For someone calling shame on another for poor debating tactics, engaging in this level of misdirection is pretty poor form.
Not to mention that MLK has been dead for over 40 years, so it's not like he's stepping down to leave a place vacant right now.