Disgruntled students say a Chicago law professor has a racist habit.
University of Chicago law student David Raban wrote an op-ed for The Chicago Maroon about professor Geoffrey Stone’s use of the word "n****r" and the university’s reluctance to do anything about it. According to Raban, Stone shares a story with every class about a confrontation between a Black and white student he taught at the beginning of his career.
“Professor Stone had asked a Mr. Green ('who happened to be Black') what he thought of the fighting words doctrine,” Raban wrote. “Mr. Green had said that he felt the doctrine was no longer relevant. The professor then had asked a white student in an adjacent row what he thought of Green’s argument. The white student had said, “That’s the dumbest argument I’ve ever heard, you stupid 'n****r.'” Green had then immediately lunged forward, attempting to choke the white student.”
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Raban says Stone told the story with glee.
“Upon finishing his story, the professor flashed a grin as he saw many of our shocked faces,” Raban continues. “He immediately proceeded to make a joke about the topic, presumably to break the tension. I gathered my belongings and walked out of the classroom.”
The student goes on to claim Stone’s reputation for using the word precedes him.
“Black students, who are obviously the most affected by a white professor’s use of the N-word in class, are the most aware of this situation,” Raban wrote. “2L and 3L members of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) warn other members about Professor Stone’s use of the N-word in Constitutional Law II.”
Raban also accuses Stone of perpetuating stereotypes in his writings and evaluations of students.
Stone, a First Amendment scholar, told Above the Law he wouldn’t use the word anymore, citing a conversation with a group of Black students.
“My conversation with the African American students convinced me that the hurt and distraction caused by use of the word in the story are real and to be taken seriously," Stone wrote in a statement. "I decided that use of the word in that story isn’t sufficiently important to justify the hurt and distraction it causes. For me, this is a great example of why free speech is important. It enables us to learn from each other.”
Despite this apparent change of heart, Jeremy Manier, the university’s assistant vice president of communication, defended Stone’s use of the word.
“Faculty members have broad freedom in the choice of ideas to discuss in the classroom and in their expression of those ideas, and students are free to express their views on those subjects,” he said in a statement.
“The University of Chicago is deeply committed to the values of academic freedom and the free expression of ideas, and to fostering a diverse and inclusive climate on campus. We believe universities have an important role as places where controversial ideas can be proposed, tested, and debated by faculty and students.”
That sounds about white.
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