A New York City university professor has sparked widespread fury after she was caught on a hot mic making a crass comment about black students — which education officials branded “blatantly racist.”
Allyson Friedman, an associate professor at Hunter College, sparked controversy when she interjected a black eighth-grade student’s concerns about the potential shutdown of her school during a Community Education Council meeting on Feb. 10.
“They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school,” Friedman reportedly said while her mic was live, according to the New York Times.
“If you train a black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back,” she said. “You don’t have to tell them anymore.”
She seemed to be referring to a comment made by Reginald Higgins, the school district’s interim acting superintendent, who spoke about Carter G. Woodson — the father of black history.
“If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told,” Woodson wrote in his 1933 book “The Mis-education of the Negro.”
A university spokesperson described Friedman’s comments as “abhorrent,” according to the Daily Mail.
Education officials were left profoundly disturbed and students on the Zoom call were left stunned by Friedman’s comments.
“I am deeply disturbed by the blatantly racist and harmful remarks made during the CEC3 [Community Education Council for School District 3] meeting…,” said Rita Joseph, the city council education chair.
Brad Hoylman Sigal, the Manhattan borough president, described Friedman’s remarks as “outrageous.”
“It is particularly despicable that these vile words were uttered while children were giving testimony at the meeting, exposing them to this hatred,” he added.
Friedman apologized for her comments as she tried to clarify her remarks, as reported by the Times.
“My complete comments make clear these abhorrent views are not my own, nor were they directed at any student or group,” she said.
“I fully support these courageous students in their efforts to stop school closures.
“However, I recognize these comments caused harm and pain, while that was not my intent I do truly apologize.”
Black students make up around 20% of the total number of students enrolled in schools across New York City.
In recent weeks, officials have been mulling plans to shut down schools in Manhattan District 3, as reported by Chalkbeat.
More than 17,000 undergraduates and 5,500 graduates are enrolled at Hunter College.
Black or African American students make up around 11.5 percent of the university’s undergraduate enrolment.
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