University of Ottawa professor at centre of controversy involving racial slur says she regrets actions

The incident involving the use of the n-word at University of Ottawa sparked an outcry at the university, divided faculty and prompted the students' union to say the university hasn’t done enough to address the situation.A professor who used the n-word in a class at the University of Ottawa said she regrets her actions, worries that she may have hurt some of her students and didn’t realize it would be unacceptable in an academic context.

On Sept. 23 she was teaching a third-year undergraduate course with about 30 students present online, some of them students of colour, and was discussing the concept of re-appropriation. She explained that gay and lesbian communities had re-appropriated the word queer, emptied it of its negative charge and transformed it into a marker of identity. She then said that Black communities had done something similar with the n-word. She spoke the entire word out loud, however.

“It’s very easy not to use the word,” Mr. Faye said. “We believe that the university should also take more action and responsibility with regards to the situation and address the wider issue of systemic racism and institutional discrimination at our university.”The Canadian Association of University Teachers said Prof. Lieutenant-Duval’s words, since they were uttered in the context of a class, germane to the subject and had pedagogical intent, should be protected by academic freedom.

Mr. Frémont said the university has been dealing with racist and racially motivated incidents for the past 18 months and has held many town halls to discuss these issues. He added that what might appear trivial to members of the dominant group can be profoundly offensive to minorities, and “members of dominant groups simply have no legitimacy to decide what constitutes a micro-aggression.”

“Being prohibited from using racial slurs even in discussions about racism is not a violation of academic freedom,” said the statement, signed by more than 25 faculty and other staff.

Might read what Samuel Jackson says

One of the great punk songs of all time. Eliminate?

At some point just saying 'the N word' (not the actual word) will be triggering...

SNOWFLAKES!!!

Some things are so totally out of control. Word used to spark intellectual debate in University classroom. OUTRAGE! Used repeatedly in song about whores and killing cops - totally OK.

Losing all the bodhi over Othello

Caving to the mob!

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Student union calls on University of Ottawa to denounce professors defending right to use 'racial slurs'The student union at the University of Ottawa is calling on University president Jacque Frémont to denounce a group of professors who defended the right to use “racial slurs” as a part of academic freedom. Idiotic I don’t t like the word broad when used to describe a woman. Ban it please University is for the free flow of information and ideas, even repugnant ideas.
Source: nationalpost - 🏆 10. / 80 Read more »

Student union calls on University of Ottawa to denounce professors defending right to use 'racial slurs'The student union at the University of Ottawa is calling on University president Jacque Frémont to denounce a group of professors who defended the right to use “racial slurs” as a part of academic freedom. Idiotic I don’t t like the word broad when used to describe a woman. Ban it please University is for the free flow of information and ideas, even repugnant ideas.
Source: nationalpost - 🏆 10. / 80 Read more »