Casteen reacts to U.Va. employee's remarks [N-word madness]

The Cavalier Daily [University of Virginia student paper] ^ | November 212, 2003 | Kara Rowland Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor

[aculeus]

University President John T. Casteen, III issued a statement yesterday responding to allegations that a Medical Center employee used a racial epithet during a conversation at a recent staff meeting, calling the usage "offensive" and "insulting."

Following reports of the alleged Nov. 10 comment, Medical Center CEO R. Edward Howell conducted interviews with the person's supervisor and the four other employees who were present during the remark to ensure a consistent interpretation of events, Casteen said.

[aculeus]

I clicked auto-excerpt which didn't work.

The entire article is posted but as one unreadable paragraph.

[Ex-Dem]

Casteen has to respond in some way given the University's problems with racism the past few semesters. With that said, it seems that the employee who used the N-word didn't mean it in an offensive way. Also, I haven't seen any articles in the Cav Daily that actually gives the race of that employee, which makes you wonder...

[beezdotcom]

"It doesn't really matter in what context this word was used," Staff Union President Jan Cornell said in a statement, adding that employees have reported other similar incidents.

Context doesn't matter??? The world HAS gone mad...

[AlBondigas]

Tempest in a pis..er teapot ??

[Cacophonous]

Forgive this old Wahoo's ignorance, but what problems with racism in the past few semesters? I haven't followed events at the University very closely.

[Ex-Dem]

No kidding. If this was a white employee who said the N-word, I suspect that there would have been much more of an uproar and the person would have been layed off immediately. Which is why I question the response of some of the people who were at the conference and said that they weren't personally offended by it.

Oh, and to put this story into some context, the University invited Al Sharpton as a guest speaker a few months ago. PCness run amuck...

[sphinx]

Someone uses the n-word as an example of an objectionable term, and UVA goes nuts? Crazy.

[WackyKat]

I take it that UVA doesn't allow the playing of rap music on campus then, as the N-word count of the lyrics is rather high.

[expatpat]

Sounds like a liberal got hoisted by his own petard!

[Ex-Dem]

Last semester, a half black young lady who was running for the position of student council president was assaulted by someone who used the N-word. (Assailant remains at large.)

The semester before that, two of the fraternities were involved in a blackface incident in which some (white) guests at a Holloween party wore black face makeup and dressed up as Venus and Serena Williams.

There may have been some other incidents, but those are the main ones...

[Corin Stormhands]

"It doesn't really matter in what context this word was used," Staff Union President Jan Cornell said in a statement, adding that employees have reported other similar incidents.

So if someone asks Miz Cornell "What was the offensive word?" and she answers...should she be fired?

[Old Professer]

I am honestly beginning to believe that one must be educated to be that stupid.

[putupon]

Don't forget the group of local black thugs who were going around beating up white and asian students; some perps even admitted the motive was race.

[putupon]

see #14

[Ex-Dem]

Thanks for reminding me. Wasn't there an odd incident where an Asian student was assaulted by a black teen who then called him the N-word for no apparent reason? Strange happenings...

[Cacophonous]

It seems that none of those incidents is worth the newsprint that reports them (oh look, fraternity guys are acting like idiots...what a shock), which makes you wonder about the motives of the media in reporting them. I do recall now, though, the gangs beating up whites and asians - a bit more serious because some people actually got hurt.

[Tacis]

The use of the N word by a black is perfectly proper and appropriate and raises no questions. Here, the word has to have been used by a white or other non-black in order to elicit any type of faux-outrage or indignation. This double standard is, in itself, one of the most blatant examples of black racism in society today and of the neocommunist media's complicity in that black racism.

Watched part of the Richard Pryor (a really funny guy) on BET last night. It would have been much shorter had he not used the N word frequently. Same for any of the lesser known comedians on BET.

[aculeus]

Monty Python's Life of Bryan via Volokh blog

OFFICIAL: You have been found guilty by the elders of the town of uttering the name of our Lord, and so, as a blasphemer,...
CROWD: Ooooh!
OFFICIAL: ...you are to be stoned to death.
CROWD: Ahh!
MATTHIAS: Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'
CROWD: Oooooh!
OFFICIAL: Blasphemy! He's said it again!
CROWD: Yes! Yes, he did! He did!...
OFFICIAL: Did you hear him?!
CROWD: Yes! Yes, we did! We did!...
WOMAN #1: Really!
[silence]
* * * *
OFFICIAL: * * * Now, where were we?
MATTHIAS: Look. I don't think it ought to be blasphemy, just saying 'Jehovah'.
CROWD: Oooh! He said it again! Oooh!...
OFFICIAL: You're only making it worse for yourself!
MATTHIAS: Making it worse?! How could it be worse?! Jehovah! Jehovah! Jehovah!
CROWD: Oooooh!...
OFFICIAL: I'm warning you. If you say 'Jehovah' once more-- [MRS. A. stones OFFICIAL]
Right. Who threw that?
MATTHIAS: [laughing]
[silence]
OFFICIAL: Come on. Who threw that?
CROWD: She did! It was her! He! He. Him. Him. Him. Him. Him. Him.
OFFICIAL: Was it you?
MRS. A.: Yes.
OFFICIAL: Right!
MRS. A.: Well, you did say 'Jehovah'.
CROWD: Ah! Ooooh!...
[CROWD stones MRS. A.]
OFFICIAL: Stop! Stop, will you?! Stop that! Stop it! Now, look! No one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle! Do you understand?! Even, and I want to make this absolutely clear, even if they do say 'Jehovah'.
CROWD: Ooooooh!...
[CROWD stones OFFICIAL]
WOMAN #1: Good shot!
[clap clap clap]

[aculeus]

Oh, and to put this story into some context, the University invited Al Sharpton as a guest speaker a few months ago.

And I bet the student's can rent Pulp Fiction at the college bookstore. That movie has more n-words said by white as well as black characters than I could count.