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
Phyllis Bligh
is composed, when she takes a seat.
DR: Professor Bligh,
please tell us what happened in the last three weeks.
Phyllis Bligh
(PB): Three weeks ago Mr. Wittles
came to me and told me what he and his girlfriend Ms. Davis had heard. It seems
Ms. Jennifer Miller decided to tell some unfortunate, racist jokes.
DR: How did you react?
PB: Since Professor
Grant and I spend most of the time with the students and know them for nearly
five years – most of them at least, I decided to provide him with the
information regarding the incident. I wanted to discuss how to proceed. We
agreed to show a united front the next morning and confront the behavior.
DR: Was this the end?
PB: Well, I was
surprised to see Ms. Frieda Pianas around a week later in my office. She was
visible shaken after being attacked by Ms. Jennifer Miller.
DR: Attacked?
PB: Yes. It seems Ms.
Miller was waiting for Ms. Pianas at the ladies restroom, and first pushed Ms.
Pianas and then pulled Ms. Pianas’ hair and yanked at it. For some reason Ms.
Miller believed Ms. Pianas had been the culprit, who had told me about the
jokes. As we all know it wasn’t her. Ms. Wise was in the same room and warned
Ms. Miller that somebody was approaching. Ms. Pianas used the chance to free
herself. She headed to my office immediately after the attack. She was clearly
shaken. I listened to what she had to tell me and also asked Ms. Davis, what
she had seen. I then sent Ms. Pianas home and promised to deal with Ms. Wise
and Miller.
DR: Thank you very
much for your time, Professor Bligh. Our last witness is Professor Richard
Grant.
The two
professors exchange a quick glance, when they pass each other. Professor Grant
was relaxed.
DR: Professor Grant,
thank you for coming.
Richard Grant
(RG): You’re welcome.
MF: Professor Grant,
what happened around three weeks ago?
RG: Precisely three
weeks ago, Professor Bligh came to my office and telling me about racist jokes
a student had told. We both agreed racism wasn’t acceptable, and we were going
to warn the class, where this had happened, there would be consequences, if the
behavior continued. So the next day we showed up at the class together and
issued the warning.
MF: Did it help?
RG: To my great
disappointment I heard later that Ms. Wise and Ms. Miller had been suspended
and a hearing was going to be held, because they had behaved badly towards a
fellow student from upstate New York.
MF: How
would you describe Ms. Wise and Ms. Miller?
RG: Ms. Miller is the
boss in the relationship. Ms. Wise follows blindly what ever Ms. Miller orders.
MF: Thank you,
Professor. I don’t have any further questions.
©2012
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