Humphreys' study has been criticized on ethical grounds in that he observed acts of homosexuality by masquerading as a voyeur,--> did not get his subjects’ consent, used their license plate numbers to track them down, and interviewed them in disguise without revealing the true intent of his studies (he claimed to be a health service interviewer, and asked them questions about their race, marital status, occupation, and so on). "Tearoom Trade" has been criticized for privacy violations, and deceit - both in the initial setting, and in the follow-up interviews. After the study was published, the controversy in Humphreys' own department at Washington University resulted in about half the faculty leaving the department. There was also a lively debate in the popular press; notably journalist Nicholas von Hoffman, writing for "The Washington Post" at that time, condemned all social scientists, accusing them of indifference.