DePaul University has canceled the class of a law professor who drew student complaints for his use of the N-word during a lecture — and the professor is crying foul.
Donald Hermann claims the dean of the law school, Jennifer Rosato Perea, axed his class in order to bolster her credentials as a defender of minority interests.
The move, Hermann points out, came shortly after Rosato Perea was accused in a lawsuit, filed by African-American law professor Terry Smith, of blocking him from university posts in retaliation for his advocacy for racial diversity at the law school.
Hermann also pointed to a 2016 incident that briefly cast an unflattering light on the law school when, under Rosato Perea’s leadership, the school signed off on a student event being held at Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago in 2016. After accusations of insensitivity to minority students, the event was moved to another venue.
“This whole issue (of the N-Word being used in class) has become something for the dean to clothe herself in as an advocate for minority students,” said Hermann.
Hermann used the word in class in February while discussing this hypothetical situation: a white supremacist attends the funeral of a civil rights leader and hurls the word at funeral attendees. The crowd comes after him. Can he shoot them and claim self defense?
Following the complaints that Hermann’s word choice created a hostile environment, students were given the opportunity to transfer into another class that was created to accommodate them. About 50 of Hermann’s approximately 80 students transferred.
University spokeswoman Carol Hughes said Rosato Perea “respected the concerns of students who no longer wished to continue in that class.”
“…In this case, after almost eighty percent of students opted to leave Professor Hermann’s class, Dean Rosato Perea decided it was in the best interests of the students to keep the entire cohort together in all of their classes for the remainder of the semester,” Hughes said in a statement.
Rosato Perea did not respond to a request for further comment.
Hermann is also irked because Rosato Perea acted before the conclusion of an investigation into his use of the N-word by the university’s Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity.
“She’s created the impression that I’ve done something wrong and I haven’t even had final adjudication,” Hermann said.
“I’d like the university to basically indicate to her that this was inappropriate action,” he said. “I feel it’s degrading to my reputation and credibility that she’s removed me from the classroom.”
Hermann believes the cancellation was unnecessary, noting that other law classes offered by the university in the past have had as few as 10 students.
Hermann said he plans to file a breach of academic freedom grievance, basically claiming interference with free speech and discourse in the classroom.
Hughes said the review of the classroom incident is ongoing and said the university is not aware of any complaints filed by Hermann.
Hermann told the Sun-Times last month that he used the word N-word with full knowledge of its weight.
“The alternative (to using the word) is there, of course, but it waters down the discussion and the significance of the word. I think their reaction to it is the very justification for the use of it in this context,” he said, adding that he didn’t shout the word or point it at anyone, but said it in a plain voice.
“Some of these students will be public defenders, prosecutors, defense attorneys. Words like this will be a common part of their practice. I can understand their sensitivity about it. But in preparing people to go out into the real world, if during their education we have to be so sensitive to provide a safe space to harbor them from words that could be emotionally upsetting, I don’t think we’re doing our job of educating these students to be lawyers,” Hermann said.
Smith, Hermann’s African American colleague, told the Sun-Times last month that he supported his use of the word in the context in which he used it.
“Increasingly, we are dumbing down legal education for students. And increasingly they are ill-prepared to go out and represent clients. They will encounter this terminology and worse in practice. What will they do then?” Smith said.
