The criticism isn’t of his discovery or of his credentials in the field of genetics. The criticism is that he failed to properly apply the scientific method. Should a scientist’s conclusions be taken seriously if they say, “Oh, I came to that conclusion because my grocer told me.”? I don’t think so.

I’d also note that he’s outside his field, delving into the realm of social statistics which are incredibly fuzzy by the standards of hard sciences like biology or physics.

I’m also critical of his lack sensitivity toward other people, particularly those who have a different skin color. I grew up during the tail end of racial segregation in the Southern United States. Although I’m white, I saw how dangerous and evil racism can be first hand. It bothers me to hear people saying things like he said. Such behavior has no place in civil society and Dr. Watson should be intelligent enough to realize this.