University Of Kansas Professor Placed On Leave After Using N-Word In Class
Dr. Andrea Quenette, a 33-year-old assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, has been placed on administrative leave following her alleged use of the n-word in class. Quenette, a self-identified white woman, must remain off-campus while the school investigates the allegations, according to The New York Daily News.
Dr. Quenette’s suspension follows on the heels of an open letter signed by 11 of her students, demanding that she be fired, which was published on Medium, a popular open blogging platform among online activists. The letter, apparently authored by student Amy L. Schumacher, alleges that during the course of the COMS 930 class, Communication Studies Masters student Abigail Kingsford (herself a grad student teaching COMS 130) posed a question regarding the university’s recent town-hall meeting to address racism and discrimination on campus, which in turn followed days of protests at the University of Missouri over the school’s handling of race and discrimination issues.
“In light of last night’s university-wide town hall meeting about race and discrimination on campus, what is the best approach to talk about that event and these issues with our students?”
Dr. Quenette allegedly responded by admitting that “as a white woman” she had not ever “seen the racism” and followed with “It’s not like I see ‘n****r’ spray painted on walls…”
The open letter alleges that, in the wake of the shock her comment inspired, she went on to make remarks that were “even more disparaging” and that “they articulated not only her lack of awareness of racial discrimination and violence on this campus and elsewhere but an active denial of institutional, structural, and individual racism.”
Following her remarks, Ph.D. student Ian Beier presented “strong evidence” of poor retention and graduation rates among black students, suggesting that this was related to racism and lack of institutional support. Dr. Quenette allegedly responded that “those students are not leaving school because they are physically threatened everyday but because of academic performance,” effectively dismissing Beier’s remarks on why those students were performing poorly.
The open letter itself runs to almost 2,300 words, breaking down Dr. Quenette’s reasoning, comparing her remarks to University of Kansas policy, discussing the implications of her remarks and calling for her termination.
Two days later, Dr. Quenette found herself suspended pending an investigation.
“I didn’t intend to offend anyone, I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. I didn’t direct my words at any individual or group of people.”
According to her, it was her way of acknowledging her own relative blindness to racism. “I tried to preface everything I said with, ‘I don’t experience racial discrimination so it’s hard for me to understand the challenges that other people face, because I don’t often see those,” she said.
Amy Schumacher disagrees.
“It was outright racism.”
Her students returned to class the next day, with open letter in hand. After requesting Dr. Quenette read it, each student read individual statements describing how her words had made them feel.
When she tried to apologize for her remarks, the students stood up and left the class. According to the end of their letter, they won’t return until Dr. Quenette is terminated.
“We want to be absolutely clear that we will not attend this class, we will not accept being graded by Dr. Quenette, we will not recruit, and we will not feel safe to learn and grow as teachers and scholars while under the supervision of Dr. Quenette.”
Quenette, meanwhile, has expressed her remorse at having hurt her students, but feels that her remarks are protected by academic freedom.
Dr. Quenette said that she found the campaign to be “very hurtful” and is seeking an attorney to represent her. Her husband Scott has started a GoFundMe campaign for her, which has raised more than $3,000 in the last four days.
[Image via InaMaka/Wikimedia Commons, used under GFDL 1.2]
