In response to criticism of their study, Rind, Tromovitch and Bauserman released a number of statements vigorously defending their results and conclusions. They claimed that their research "brought methodological rigor into an area that needed this" (Rind, Tromovitch, & Bauserman., November 6, 1999), and suggested that they had "an ethical duty" to report their findings (Rind, Tromovitch, & Bauserman, May 12, 1999). Claiming to be victims of political persecution, the authors characterized their critics as "religious and moralistic zealots" (e.g., Rind et al., November 6, 1999). A flyer for a continuing education workshop about the controversy offered by Rind and Carol Tavris stated:
The enemies of Galileo and Darwin, the enemies of the natural science model are alive and well.... Not only are the "offending" data dismissed or trivialized, but the messengers can themselves be pressured into silence, recantation, or more simply be vilified by organs of academe and government alike. ("When Politics Clashes with Science," 2000) 3