Posted on 11/26/2015 6:57:29 PM PST by markomalley
After a student filed a “bias report” accusing a student with a Confederate flag sticker on his laptop of racism, Framingham State University officials offered offended students counseling.
“We recognize that bias incidents are upsetting for the entire campus community, but especially for the target(s) and witness(es) of these incidents,” wrote Sean Huddleston, the Massachusetts-based school’s chief diversity and inclusion officer, in a campus-wide email published in part by FSU campus newspaper The Gatepost. “It is strongly suggested that anyone impacted by a bias incident find someone to speak with.”
In his email, Huddleston assured students “symbols such as these are not condoned by Framingham State University” but that the school wouldn’t ban the flag, as it is protected by First Amendment free speech rights.
“We absolutely believe everyone is due and should be able to exercise their constitutional rights,” Huddleston said in the email. “We want to foster a community and an environment where everyone feels safe and welcome. If we have a student or faculty or staff that feels unsafe based on something that was said or they witnessed, we have an obligation to inform the campus that has occurred.”
Huddleston concluded by confirming “a productive discussion” between the complainant and the student who owned the laptop “was achieved” and that the Bias Protocol & Response Team “will meet to determine any measures that may be needed to respond to this incident,” reports The Gatepost.
Since September, students have filed four similar bias reports at the university, reports Metro West Daily News, two others being “racially insensitive” Facebook posts.
Metro West Daily News defines “bias reports” as complaints to the administration about something a student witnessed or experienced that made them feel discriminated against or otherwise uncomfortable.
According to The Gatepost, FSU students had mixed responses to Huddleston’s email and the bias report overall based on posts to the anonymous social media app Yik Yak, including many posts opposed to the situation:
“Carry a copy of the constitution tomorrow, see how fast the PC police emails fly.”
“I’m so proud of FSU for making national news over students being scared of a picture of a flag. Oh wait, no I’m not.”
“So if I have a Rebel Alliance wallpaper, am I gonna get reported to the Empire?”
And some opposed, including one compared the Confederate flag to the swastika, saying “that’s the issue. In case you were somehow still confused in 2015.”
What are these cupcakes going to do when they get out into the working world, and somebody hurts their feelings?
Sue.
I sincerely hope that any student who uses the mental health services over this incident is prohibited from law enforcement career tracks
Raising a generation of little sissies. Nice. Another Obama “historical” first.
The parents of those students have to be so proud of their mentally disabled adult children.
/sarc
At least the school is standing for the constitution. Don’t dare let these little sweethearts be exposed to “The Dukes of Hazard”. It may cause a nervous breakdown!
For balance, the “school” will allow them to attack
innocents, or to poison the state water supply,
or steal some weapons from an Army base.
DANG!
I don’t see many people in the workplace that would be offended by the stars & bars; companies in my area do an end-run around the attorneys/government by hiring Hispanics instead. Leaves the perpetual victims plenty of time to go protest...
***compared the Confederate flag to the swastika, ***
Oh really?
You won’t believe how pc the workplace is now.
The best weapon against such insanity is ridicule. After they are subjected to withering ridicule and sarcasm they will fold like a cheap suit.
bunch of wussies and pansies, no wonder we are in a mess today.
I only hope these pansies never come down south.
Political Correctness is demanding we raise the stakes of compatibility.
the problem is that the school has the idiotic orwellian concept of bias reports.
I was afraid something like this would happen when I heard that woman in South Carolina was running was vice president.
I thank God every day I live where I live.
I was afraid something like this would happen when I heard that woman in South Carolina was running for vice president.
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