A Florida college is looking for to fire a professor whose controversial tweets — together with one claiming “black privilege is actual” – led to widespread requires his termination as protests raged within the aftermath of George Floyd’s demise.
An investigation by the College of Central Florida decided that affiliate psychology professor Charles Negy created a “hostile” classroom setting and tried to deter college students from submitting complaints, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
The probe additionally discovered that Negy didn’t report a scholar’s declare that she was sexually assaulted by one of his instructing assistants and gave false info throughout the investigation, which started final summer season as college students and alumni known as for his removing from campus.
Greater than 500 messages about Negy have been acquired by the college, together with some that alleged he subjected college students to “discriminatory harassment” in school. College officers notified him Wednesday they plan to terminate him on Jan. 25, though UCF says his controversial tweets had no function within the choice, the newspaper reported.
The probe additionally discovered Negy didn’t report a scholar’s declare that she was sexually assaulted by one of his instructing assistants.
“None of the findings within the investigation are a end result of Dr. Negy’s feedback on Twitter, that are protected as free expression, or feedback within the classroom that have been the topic of some college students’ complaints however that the college decided have been protected by tutorial freedom,” a college spokesman wrote the newspaper in an electronic mail.
Negy, who has been on paid administrative depart since January, shouldn’t be instructing this semester. He has till Jan. 25 to submit a written response to the “severe” allegations, in accordance to a letter despatched to him by an interim dean.
One scholar informed UCF investigators she reported to Negy in February 2014 that one of his instructing assistants sexually assaulted her at her residence. However the professor mentioned she wouldn’t have a case except she “fabricated info to the police, which he couldn’t suggest,” in accordance to the report.
Negy additionally informed her to “choose higher associates transferring ahead,” UCF investigators discovered.
College officers in June derided some of Negy’s tweets as “racist,” saying they ran counter to its values, however famous they have been being “conscious of the First Modification” on the time.
Requires Negy’s ouster got here after two controversial tweets a day earlier, together with one claiming “black privilege is actual” and one other evaluating African Individuals and Asian Individuals.
“Honest query: If Afr. Individuals as a gaggle, had the identical behavioral profile as Asian Individuals (on common, performing one of the best academically, having the best earnings, committing the bottom crime, and many others.), would we nonetheless be proclaiming ‘systemic racism’ exists?”
However the final result of UCF’s investigation was “predetermined,” an legal professional for Negy informed The Submit.
“This pretextual, defamatory investigative report is the newest chapter in UCF’s effort to smash Dr. Negy — a person with a distinguished 22-year instructing profession — as a result of he has develop into politically inconvenient,” legal professional Samantha Harris mentioned in a press release. “UCF, together with those that solicited and investigated false complaints towards him, have violated his rights and defamed him, and will likely be held accountable in courtroom.”
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