UW Prof Accused of Hmong Slurs; Used Ethnic Group as Example in Law Class

Madison.com ^ | February 22, 2007 | Anita Weier

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Law students have accused University of Wisconsin Law Professor Leonard Kaplan of making statements in class that denigrate Hmong people, leading to a public apology from the dean of the Law School at a meeting of more than 100 people.

According to the e-mail that organized the meeting Wednesday night, Kaplan told his legal process class that "Hmong men have no talent other than to kill," and that second-generation Hmong become criminals, among other statements.

Kaplan, who joined the UW-Madison faculty in 1974, has met with students and apologized for causing anyone pain during his class Feb. 15. He said in a phone interview this morning that he was "misunderstood."

Kaplan would not comment on exactly what he said, as the matter is being reviewed.

"I have nothing but great respect for the Hmong community. I did apologize to the students for the misunderstanding, and I want to be part of any educational or healing experience that comes out of this in these volatile times," Kaplan said.

"I can't go into it further at this time. I have such respect for the Hmong community. This is a terrible misunderstanding. That is not who I am, and I don't want to increase any more pain for anybody. I care about my students, and I think I am a good professor."

Wednesday's meeting at the Law School drew mostly Asian students at the University of Wisconsin as well as Hmong community members and several Law School administrators and faculty.

Law student Kashia Moua, a Hmong who grew up in Eau Claire where she said neighbors built very high fences to separate themselves from her family, organized the meeting with a widely distributed e-mail.

In that e-mail, she quoted several remarks that Kaplan allegedly made, including: "Hmong men have no talent other than to kill," "all second-generation Hmong end up in gangs and other criminal activity" and "all men purchase their wives, so if he wants to have sex with his wife and she doesn't consent, you and I call it rape, but the Hmong guy is thinking, 'Man, I paid too much for her!' "

The e-mail termed the remarks "racist," but Moua said during the meeting Wednesday that "this is not about race" but rather ignorance. She also noted that freedom of speech protections exist in some cases, and added, "We don't want this to cause any more racial divides."

Law School Dean Ken Davis apologized to students during the Wednesday meeting, which Kaplan did not attend, partly on the advice of the dean, who did not consider it an appropriate forum. The professor has been invited to attend a public forum March 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Law School, but has not decided whether he will attend.

"The forum gives him a public opportunity to explain his beliefs," Moua said.

Davis said he has met with Kaplan, and that the professor "is clear about how intensely I feel about this."

"I want to express my profound sadness and apologize," Davis said. "We work very hard to create a learning community where students can grow and flourish. This is a matter of great concern."

A student who was in the class, Nam Dao, said in an interview that Kaplan was lecturing about cultural assimilation and how to craft laws when many different cultures are involved.

"He made references to certain Hmong stereotypes, particularly the dowry system and the gang problem in Wisconsin," Dao said. "He used the dowry example to show that it is difficult to craft laws that apply to different cultures. He used statements about Hmong gangs and Hmong men not having education and job skills to illustrate the idea that Wisconsin was not doing a good job of assimilating the Hmong."

But Dao added that "when he was talking about cultural differences," Kaplan actually believed the stereotypes he was describing.

Regarding the question of what the Law School administration will do about the matter, Davis said students gave him a letter with their allegations and a copy has been provided to Kaplan with an invitation to respond.

"At this point it becomes a personnel process, but do not infer that we condone any of this," the dean said.

Davis added that the Law School must deal with the broader issue of rebuilding trust among students and dealing with stereotypes.

Ruth Robarts, a Madison School Board member who is an assistant dean at the Law School, said after the meeting that the Law School has a duty to deal with myths and stereotypes.

"It is never acceptable to illustrate an idea by stereotyping people," she said. "There is great ignorance of Asian cultures, and we should put our resources to bear on that."

"We have a very diverse community in the Law School, but we don't talk to each other very much," emeritus Professor William Whitford said Wednesday night. "This is a special problem because there is a classroom component, but another issue here is that it would be better if people learned more."

Quoa Her, a pharmacy student at the university, said there is ignorance about Hmong cultural competency and cultural health in the Pharmacy School as well. He also cited an incident in 2002 when many in the Hmong community in Madison wanted to name a park after General Vang Pao, but the proposal failed. At that time, statements by UW-Madison history Professor Alfred McCoy, who had previously published a book that linked Vang Pao to drug trafficking, became controversial, and university officials stood behind him on the basis of academic freedom.

Kaplan, who heads the Law School's Project for Law and the Humanities, also is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. In 2002, he was honored by the International Academy of Law and Mental Health for his distinction in pursuit of scholarship, pedagogy and human rights initiatives in the field of mental health.

[2banana]

If he had stuck with whites, Christians or gun owners - he would have been OK

[Red Badger]

Now if we can just get GEICO to apologize to cavemen..............

[gridlock]

Looks like he forgot to ask "Are there any Hmong h(a)mongst us?

I always do that before I let loose with a series of Hmong jokes around the water cooler at work...

[w1andsodidwe]

Reminds me of the time I was told by a teacher that the Hmong children did not value education like other Asians. I begged to differ, as I have been in a Hmong village in Thailand where the nicest building was a school and all the children wore white shirts or blouses. The homes had mud floors and were dirty because of it, so I still can't figure out how they got those pristine white shirts.

I guess the liberals will never forgive them for fighting with us instead of against us.

[taxesareforever]

He is now one step closer to become UW President.

[Irontank]

Isn't "diversity" great?

[dsc]

"I call it rape."

Well, then, he's an idiot.

"human rights initiatives in the field of mental health"

Which is code for "the forced endorsement of sexual perversion."

[razorback-bert]

Who Hmong us will cast the first stone?

Leonard, Leonard!

[NonValueAdded]

He who was hmong us cast the first stone?

[Bigh4u2]

You guys typing from the same computer?

lol!

[tkathy]

"Hmong men have no talent other than to kill," and that second-generation Hmong become criminals,.....

Now if he had said muslim men and democrat men have not talent other than to kill and become criminals........he would have been telling the truth!!!

[OldPossum]

These situations happen so frequently and the reaction on the part of the "offender" is always the same: I was misinterpreted, misunderstood, blab, blab. Then the apologies start, mainly to keep his/her job.

Darn it, can't you say something and stick with it? If you maintain a position, have the (bad word retracted) to stick with the thought that you threw out there.

[razorback-bert]

Great minds and all that.