The Hearing - Part 5

CASE HEARING RACISM

Chair:                           Professor Deltdrick Ross, Head of Electrical Engineering

Department

Committee Members:   Professor Floyd Bohrer, Architecture

                                    Professor Elena O’Brien, Civil Engineering

                                    Professor Moses Fogel, Mineral and Mining Engineering

Witnesses:                    Delbert Ballas, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Frank Covington Posey, Electrical Engineering student

Agnes Davis, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Carlo Erickson, Electrical Engineering student

                                    John Martin, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Yolanda Miller, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Angeline O’Connell, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Jennifer Wallace, Electrical Engineering student

Logan Wittels, Electrical Engineering student

Professor Phyllis Bligh, Electrical Engineering

Professor Richard Grant, Electrical Engineering

Victim:              Frieda Pianas, Electrical Engineering student

                                   

Accused:                      Jennifer Miller, Electrical Engineering student

                                    Dina Wise, Electrical Engineering student

John Martin enters self confident.

DR:                              Mr. Martin. Please tell us what happened three weeks ago shortly

                                    before the first class with Professor Bligh started.

John Martin (JM):         I was drawn to a small group surrounding Ms. Miller and Ms.

                                    Wise. They were telling jokes. I listened in.

MF:                              What was the joke about?

JM:                              I think one was about swans or something and the other was about

guys in a bar. Unfortunately I don’t remember the content, but I thought it was entertaining. When I saw Ms. Pianas’ face I realized what her – I assume – former friend told had been below the belt line, and I was sorry, because I like Ms. Pianas. Maybe she is simply a bit sensitive, because she wasn’t born to American parents.

MF:                              You didn’t think the jokes were racist?

JM:                              No, not really. They were simply funny.

MF:                              So you think it is normal to tell jokes about shooting people from

                                    different cultures?

JM (blushes):                Yes. I mean… Well, yeah, I guess you are right. It’s not okay.

MF (gives John Martin a cold stare):     I think that’s all Mr. Martin.

JM (looks as if his self esteem has been crushed): I’m really sorry…

MF (still cold):  You can leave.

©2012