I don't vote in MA-1, and while I'd probably support Neal, I find Morses statement genuine. Are there any allegations that these relationships weren't consensual, or is the understanding here that because he was a professor and they were students (whether his students or not) they can't be consensual? I find the comment that because he grew up in Holyoke when he came out he was eager for relationships kind of disingenuous. Sure, Holyoke is a small town, but it's a very, very progressive town, home to My Holyoke one of the most progressive communities in America, next door to Amherst another one of the most progressive schools in the country, and of course borders the town of Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, etc, which are all very progressive, welcoming towns, even when I was college age 10 years before him.
I worked in higher Ed and met my wife, who was a grad student, though I wasn't a professor or relevant administrator for any of her academics. I don't think that dating students as a professor should disqualify someone from office. I think it's a shitty things to do if you are dating students in your class that you teach, there's clearly perverse incentives there for the professor and student. I think as a matter of academic behavior that is wrong, and professors who do that (... There are many, sadly. You work in higher ed long enough you end up knowing a dozen profs who have dated or married students, and vice versa) should receive some academic punishment.
But I don't think it should disqualify a candidate from office, unless these relationships aren't consensual. Still I'd probably support Neal if I voted in MA-1, largely because he's been the most progressive member of the House Ways and Means, chaired the committee, and he's a committed liberal in the house and arguably the most powerful progressive on economic policy in the country. If I voted in MA-1 that gives an outsized influence to a fairly underserved community (Springfield and surrounding towns are fairly routinely forgotten in MA politics which is Boston heavy).
And still leave it to the Intercept to just stoop so low and drag in ridiculous what-aboutism of Buttigieg and his husband. It's like... Just make the case why it's not consequential, instead of bringing up someone who isn't at all relevant to the MA-1 House race, a mayor of a town halfway across the country that is like a quarter of the size of MA-1.
If it's his own students then I think that shifts the power dynamics. I don't think it becomes non-consenting, but bad form as a professor for that student and the other students In class. Still, it's common and sometimes these come up in faculty reviews and the professors can be punished for it, though I wouldn't say that's necessarily often either. Again I know too many professors who slept with, had relationships with, and occasionally married students (and vice versa)....some of whom were probably when they had a professor/student relationships. Still, I think that's wrong from a point of view of academic credibility. It's risky behavior for the professor as well who could end up teaching one of those students in the future, even if they're not teaching them that semester.