Condemnation after U of R prof directs ‘racist comments’ at students

The University of Regina’s president is denouncing what the school says were “racist comments” made by a faculty member toward students in the class.

On Friday morning, the school tweeted a statement saying it condemned racism in all forms and was committed to providing a safe learning and working environment.

a safe and welcoming learning, teaching & working environment for all of our students, faculty, staff & for our visitors to campus. This commitment is affirmed through the Respectful University Policy and through various supports & services available to our campus community.[2/2]

— University of Regina (@UofRegina) May 28, 2021

In an interview that afternoon, Thomas Chase said the professor, Allan East, linked cheating to the ethnicity of some of the students in the class.

“It was completely unacceptable. The university does not condone this kind of racist and derogatory language directed towards students, directed toward other members of the university community, directed toward anyone,” Chase said.

“(It was) highly inappropriate, wrong (and) contrary to university policy. I was shocked and disappointed to see this.”

Chase said he became aware of the incident in question last week after students contacted his office. A “follow-up” process started immediately after, he said.

The disciplinary process is set by the terms of the school’s respectful workplace policy as well as its collective agreement with the faculty association, Chase said.

“The range of possible measures begins with discussion with the dean, through to a reprimand, through to suspension and beyond,” he said.

As a personnel matter, Chase said he couldn’t provide specifics but said East remains employed at the university.

The school’s remarks followed widely shared screenshots purportedly of the emails in question, as well as an apology to the students.

In a statement of its own, the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) said the investigation into the incident has finished, resulting in “some corrective training,” although it doesn’t know the details.

“The professor issued an apology email that reflects they are unaware of and unwilling to take responsibility for the harm he has caused to students through his actions,” the statement said.

“While we appreciate the University’s administration’s quick response to this specific situation, the results of this investigation and the actions taken to correct it are not adequate.”

URSU called on the school to fire East and to implement mandatory anti-racism and anti-oppression training for new and current faculty, along with staff and administration.

Chase said he has seen very few incidents like this one and the university is committed to fostering a respectful culture.

“It’s a big community and we can never be completely certain that people will not do unexpected and at times inappropriate things. But I do want to stress this incident, brought to our attention by students, is in my experience extremely rare.”

The students’ union disagrees, saying “racism in post-secondary education is not a new occurrence.”

“We need a systemic solution for this systemic issue,” it said. “Apologies are not going to prevent this from happening again. Each and every student needs assurance that ‘we do really belong here’ with respect, dignity, and love irrespective of our race, sexuality, gender, and diversity of background.”