Yet another professor is no longer teaching due to using the N-word in an educational context.<\/p>\n
George Washington University’s Professor Michael Stoil, who has taught a course on human rights over the last five years, was removed after he related to his students what he talked about on the phone with a provost, The Hatchet<\/a> <\/em>student newspaper reported.<\/p>\n Stoil (pictured) <\/em>said he uttered the N-word to the provost, whom he does not name, as he discussed \u201cdifferential aspects of prejudice.” This resulted in some students feeling \u201cfrustrated\u201d and \u201cuncomfortable\u201d and “at least three bias reports” ended up being filed against the professor.<\/p>\n Political Science Department Chair Eric Lawrence informed Stoil’s students on September 21 that “a new instructor would start teaching the course.”<\/p>\n Stoil, who described himself as “Eurasian,” told The Hatchet<\/em> the provost was “horrified” when he said the word, telling him “Oh my God, I felt that viscerally. It ran right through me.” Stoil claimed he responded by asking “You don\u2019t listen to hip hop? You don\u2019t listen to some of the street music? They use it all the time.” <\/p>\n Two of Stoil’s students told him “Yeah, but they\u2019re Black people,\u201d whereupon Stoil replied: “The point is I didn\u2019t imagine that she would feel pain from the use of the N-word simply because, by the way, she didn\u2019t know what color I was.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0Barnard College takes no action against prof who used N-word in Eminem discussion<\/a><\/p>\n From the story<\/a>:<\/p>\n Students said they felt \u201cshocked\u201d that a lecture on human rights had turned into a justification session for using a racial slur that, by the 1800s, had been established as a derogatory term.<\/p>\n \u201cMy hands were just shaking, like I just really didn\u2019t know how to react, what to say, what to do and I just felt alone,\u201d Keheirra Wedderburn, a junior in the class, said in an interview. \u201cI shouldn\u2019t have to tell you about racism because I go through it.\u201d …<\/p>\n Katie Miller, a senior in the class studying political science and economics, said she was \u201cdisgusted\u201d by Stoil\u2019s belief that his actions were excusable, and faculty who are prejudiced should not teach at GW.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was saying it like we were all going to agree with him,\u201d Miller said. \u201cAs soon as he said it, you could hear a pin drop in the classroom. Everyone was just completely shocked. Even with masks on, you could tell the look on people\u2019s faces was pure \u2018What just happened?\u2019\u201d …<\/p>\n [Sophomore Samantha] Lewis said Stoil \u201cdidn\u2019t see a problem\u201d with using the N-word as a non-Black individual and told her that not being able to use the N-word is a violation of his rights. She said he told her he has used the racial slur before and would have \u201cdefinitely\u201d said it in class if it was \u201ca couple years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo sympathy or self reflection of like \u2018Oh damn, like maybe I did mess up, maybe this was a wrong comment for me to make,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Wedderburn and Miller also expressed frustration with other past “insensitive” words and actions by GWU faculty.<\/p>\n \u201cContrary to some students\u2019 belief, I am fully aware of the toxic reaction to use of the \u2018N-word\u2019 and other ethnic and gender-related slurs by all people,\u201d Stoil wrote in his email to the student paper. \u201cI object to the N-word\u2019s use in musical performance and poetry regardless of the identity of the user and wish that students felt equally offended by its use under any and all circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n Stoil said he was told by university officials not to discuss the matter.<\/p>\n \u201cThe University is no place for a \u2018color-blind\u2019 humanist whose effort to get students to think in terms of universal human rights has been so misinterpreted and received so little support from University officials,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n MORE:<\/strong> Columbia U. students file complaints after prof uses N-word in discussion on hate speech<\/a><\/p>\n IMAGE: ResearchGate screencap<\/p>\n