Update (July 20): Corey Menafee will return to his job next Monday after breaking a window symbolizing slavery inside Calhoun College. Yale University released a statement Tuesday and plans to give Menafee “a second chance” allowing his return to happen in “a different setting.”
Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart said, “We are willing to take these unusual steps given the unique circumstances of this matter.”
Menafee has since apologized and the school has requested the state drop any criminal charges against him for smashing the window
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The case of a Yale worker who destroyed a window panel depicting two African-American slaves continues to unfold with more details of his unemployment.
Corey Menafee initially told the New Haven Independent that he lost his job as a result of his actions. Yale followed up by saying he resigned on his own volition. Now, Menafee says the resignation was to prevent charges being brought against him for smashing the window. He also agreed to leave so that Yale would not “contest his unemployment benefits or seek restitution for the damaged windows“.
Following the incident and his arrest, Menafee faced a second-degree misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment and a first-degree felony charge of criminal mischief.
“It could be termed as civil disobedience,” Menafee said. “But there’s always better ways of doing things like that than just destroying things. It wasn’t my property, and I had no right to do it.”
As his court date approached, the Yale community rallied behind Menafee. Many protested outside of the courthouse.
Menafee’s lawyer Patricia Kane told BuzzFeed News that he had “no idea the (protest) was happening,” and was “stunned and really touched” by the crowds.
A Columbia University student created GoFundMe account to assist Menafee and his family during his unemployment. Yale law students started petition urging Yale to re-hire Menafee and re-name Calhoun College.
The campaign reads:
Corey Menafee is a former employee of Yale University who resigned after breaking a dining hall window featuring a racist depiction of slaves picking cotton. His resignation followed advisement that being fired would make it difficult to find employment. All proceeds from this fund will go directly to Mr. Menafee, to assist him and his family in his interim of unemployment.
My name is Bianca Brooks and I’m a junior at Columbia and community outreach chair of Columbia’s Intercultural Resource Center. In solidarity, I partnered with Yale black student leaders Akintunde Ahmad and Ivetty Estepana as well as Mr. Menafee’s lawyer Patricia Kane to start this fund. I’m the only organizer I know of that has been in consistent contact with Mr. Menafee’s lawyer and his family. All proceeds go directly to a trust Patricia Kane has set up for Menafee. Right now, he is trying to acquire a cell phone, a laptop, and Internet in order to communicate with his lawyer and the press. According to Ms. Kane, who is working pro bono, that’s what the first of these funds will be used for. Mr. Menafee mentioned that he is also trying to support his family and is grateful for the outpour of support he’s received. Thank you for donating and please circulate this fund and sign the petition below created by Yale Law School students calling for Yale to rehire Mr. Menafee and rename Calhoun College.
In less than three days, more than 750 people have donated to the page raising nearly $25,000 for the goal of the campaign.
Others asked questions about Menafee’s treatment versus that of other employees.
@Yale how come @ThomasPogge still has a tenured position after sexually assaulting students & #CoreyMenafee was fired for breaking a window?
— Raia Small (@raiawrites) July 12, 2016
University President Peter Salovey wrote in an e-mail to the Yale community that the university has asked the state prosecutor to drop the charges against Menafee.
“Yale has requested that the State’s Attorney not pursue charges and Yale is not seeking restitution,” said Salovey in the statement.
The e-mail from Salovey made no mention of Menafee’s employment moving forward.
In response to the e-mail, Menafee’s lawyer Patricia Kane spoke to the potential of her client being re-hired. “With respect to President Salovey’s communication to the Yale community, it would be good to see him take action to restore Mr. Menafee to his job, something that would be very popular with the Yale community.”
Bob Proto, the president of Menafee’s union, Local 35, echoed the same sentiments.
“Facing termination and worrying about providing for his family, Mr. Menafee chose to resign; the union stood with Mr. Menafee through this terrible ordeal, and we will stand with him again if Yale is willing to discuss a pathway for Mr. Menafee to return to a Yale University job,” Proto said.
Yale has yet to confirm whether or not Menafee would return to his former position at the university.
