A dishwasher is no longer employed at Yale after destroying a stained-glass panel depicting slaves carrying bales of cotton. The panel was in Yale’s Calhoun residential hall, named for slavery advocate and former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun.
Corey Menafee, the former worker who carried out the act told the New Haven Independent, “It’s 2016, I shouldn’t have to come to work and see things like that.”
He described to the publication of how he used a broomstick to climb up and break the glass panel last month.
“I just said, ‘That thing’s coming down today. I’m tired of it,’” Menafee said. “I put myself in a position to do it, and did it.”
The 38-year old was arrested by the Yale University police moments after the incident and faced felony charges.
Menafee’s actions are the first physical ones taken by a member of the Yale community. Student have petitioned the racist legacy of the University to no avail.
Earlier this year Yale announced that the dorm would remain in Calhoun’s name despite student protest. After Menafee destroyed the panel, Yale Head of College, Julia Adams announced in an email that “set of stained glass panels depicting various moments from the statesman’s life” would be removed.
After the initial story ran, the Independent published an update to the story with a statement from
Yale Vice President for Communications Eileen O’Connor.
“An incident occurred at Calhoun College, a residential college on the campus of Yale University, in which a stained glass window was broken by an employee of Yale, resulting in glass falling onto the street and onto a passerby, endangering [her] safety. The employee apologized for his actions and subsequently resigned from the University. The University will not advocate that the employee be prosecuted in connection with this incident and is not seeking restitution.”
However, Menafee immediately regretted what he did.
“I didn’t commit any acts of violence against anyone or any living thing,” Menafee said. “I didn’t be belligerent, or yell. I just broke the windows.”
