University of Pennsylvania imposes 1-year suspension on law professor for racist remarks
Date
9/30/2024 4:36:17 AM
(MENAFN) The University of Pennsylvania Law School has decided to impose a one-year suspension at half-pay and several other sanctions on tenured professor Amy Wax due to her controversial comments regarding race over the years. The university's actions include a public reprimand, the loss of her named chair, and the elimination of her summer pay indefinitely. Furthermore, Wax is required to clarify that any public statements she makes are her personal views and do not represent the university or the law school. Despite these sanctions, the university has opted not to terminate her employment or revoke her tenure, allowing her to remain on faculty.
In response to the announcement, Professor Wax expressed her intention to maintain her position at the university as a “conservative presence on campus.” She dismissed the allegations regarding the mistreatment of students as “totally bogus and made up,” arguing that her situation exemplifies a broader issue of exclusion faced by conservatives in academic environments. Wax characterized her treatment as a form of “performance art,” suggesting that the administration is unwilling to tolerate conservative viewpoints.
The university's decision follows a faculty hearing board's conclusion, which determined that Wax engaged in “flagrant unprofessional conduct” after a three-day hearing held in May of the previous year. The board cited a pattern of derogatory generalizations made by Wax about various groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and immigration status. Additionally, she was found to have violated privacy protocols by publicly discussing the grades of law students in a manner that was deemed discriminatory and disparaging toward specific racial and ethnic groups.
Provost John L. Jackson Jr. emphasized the importance of academic freedom while asserting that educators must demonstrate a commitment to fairly assess all students. He noted that Wax's behavior raised significant concerns among students about her ability to impartially evaluate their academic work. Meanwhile, Wax's attorney, David Shapiro, argued that the university’s actions were motivated by her public remarks and the presence of a white nationalist speaker in her class, suggesting that the administration supplemented their case with outdated and contested allegations regarding her interactions with minority students.
MENAFN30092024000045015839ID1108728502
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.