Posted on 01/04/2014 4:20:18 PM PST by servo1969
A Minnesota college's administration issued a formal reprimand to a female black professor last month accusing her of creating a "hostile learning environment" for white male students, Campus Reform recently learned.
Three white male students filed a racial harassment discrimination complaint against the professor claiming a discussion on structural racism in her Introduction to Mass Communication class made them feel uncomfortable.
"It was inappropriate for you to single out white male students in class," states the letter from Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) Vice President of Academic Affairs Lois Bollman, according to an article in The Raw Story.
"Your actions in [targeting] select students based on their race and gender caused them embarrassment and created a hostile learning environment," it continues. "For that reason, I have determined that a reprimand is warranted."
The professor, Shannon Gibney, said she was talking about structural racism when one white male student got upset and asked "Why do we have to talk about this in every class?" and another asked "It’s like people are trying to say that white men are always the villains, the bad guys. Why do we have to say this?”
"He was taking it personally," she said in an interview with City College Air, a student media source. "I tried to explain, of course, in a reasonable manner — as reasonable as I could given the fact that I was being interrupted and put on the spot in the middle of class — that this is unfortunately the context of 21st century America.”
She told the students that if they were still offended they should "go down to legal affairs and file a racial harassment discrimination complaint.”
The two students — along with another white male — did just that.
The reprimand will remain in Gibney's permanent file, and she will also have to attend two appointments with the school's executive director of diversity.
The incident was not the first of its kind for Gibney. She was also reprimanded in 2009 after allegedly singling out white male students on the school newspaper staff for not doing enough to eliminate bias from the organization, according to an article in Minneapolis City Pages, a local news source.
The reprimand for this incident was also formal, according to The Raw Story.
Gibney and six other professors are filing a class action lawsuit against MCTC, alleging that it is a discriminatory workplace.
Editor's Update: The Minneapolis Community and Technical College administration released this statement in response to enquiries Monday night.
“At Minneapolis Community and Technical College we believe it is essential for our students to understand issues of race, class and power, and we encourage the faculty to actively engage students in respectful discussions about these topics and create an atmosphere in which students may ask questions as an important part of the classroom experience. That’s how we learn. As a diverse college we want to ensure that students, faculty and staff from all cultures and backgrounds feel welcomed and have an appropriate learning environment. We train our employees to ensure that these critical conversations around issues of diversity are constructive and lead to understanding."
True, but a formal reprimand that has been made public is a good start. Kudos to the students who filed the complaints.
If they are harassed for filing the complaint, they most likely will take it to higher levels.
Translation: I am here because of affirmative action. "They", said if I just need to spout what was in this book. No one should expect me to be able to back up my arguments!
If there was any symmetry to these reprimands she would already be mailing her resumes to prospective employers, and the first such reprimand would have required she meet for ten weeks with the Grand Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in order to become sensitive to his perspective.
Don’t agree in the least. The ordinary course of things is to keep your head down because you can’t afford to have a racist professor fail you. These kids are courageous and we need more like them.
The two students — along with another white male — did just that.
Yeah, they undoubtedly got her on video talking her trash otherwise EvilStupidHonkies would be ignored.
Executive Director of Diversity and Multiculturalism Whitney Harris (scroll down on the page)
They can’t be men? They have to whine about everything?
“”we believe it is essential for our students to understand issues of race, class and power””
Man - I don’t even understand what they’re talking about. From whose standpoint and WHAT/WHOSE power? Sure glad I’m not a college student today. College students of today don’t even have the ability to think for themselves or they wouldn’t put themselves in this position to begin with. Who wants to sit in a classroom listening to a bunch of double talk? Go get an apprenticeship somewhere, learn something and make yourself useful, for crying out loud!
You forget. Liberal College professors are not supposed to be contradicted or challenged - especially by white men. The backlash is coming. I think more and more people are simply fed up with these left wing a-holes.
Another moron lefty feeding at the public trough. Being that this is a public, tax payer supported community college.
Its all about getting paid!!! By the man!
She should face the same penalty as a racist white teacher - FIRE HER BUTT!!! Cut the crap with the warning. Its meaningless.
...as reasonable as I could given the fact that I was being interrupted and put on the spot in the middle of class ...
Well...that should NEVER happen in an academic setting. </sarcasm>
‘I was being interrupted and put on the spot in the middle of class ‘
This is college. Not fifth grade put the condom on the cucumber human sexuality class.
This professor’s education and experience should have allowed her to handle this situation which is why she was the Professor.
Maybe pushing her racial agenda was that important.
In Minnesota the odds are that most of her white male students are descendants of Union soldier veterans of the Civil War. There is some context for this dumb broad.
They have to whine about everything?
Please detail 'everything' they've been whining about.
No, 'professor', what it is, is the context of your pathetic racist mind.
I dunno...it sounds to me like they hoisted her on her own petard.
> I say we try election fraud next; we’ll get photo ID in a hurry that way
And when “our guy” gets elected and they say its election fraud it’s our turn to say they’re just being racist.
White is the new n*****.
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