Ken Berwitz
Quenette, who is 33and has been teaching at KU for two years, said she believes academic freedomprotects her comments and that they were not discriminatory.
“I didn\’t intend to offend anyone, I didn\’tintend to hurt anyone. I didn\’t direct my words at any individual or group ofpeople,” she told the Journal-World tearfully in a phone interview Friday.
“It was an openconversation about a serious issue that is affecting our campus, and it willaffect our teachers. In that regard, I consider it within my purview … totalk about those issues.”
The graduate studentssaw it differently.
“It was outrightracism,” said Amy Schumacher, a first-year Ph.D. student who was in the class,which she said is composed of nine white students and one black student. “Idon\’t think that it was an open dialogue – she wasn\’t receptive to hearing anyother ideas.”
Schumacher said shebelieves Quenette “actively violated policies” during the discussion, hurtstudents\’ feelings – including the one black student, who left “devastated” – and has a previous history of being unsympathetic to students.
Inspired by theprevious night\’s forum, Quenette said, a student asked how they could talkabout race issues in their own classes, and the conversation naturally shiftedto how the university should address problems.
“I tried to prefaceeverything I said with, \’I don\’t experience racial discrimination so it\’s hardfor me to understand the challenges that other people face, because I don\’toften see those,\'” said Quenette, who is white.
She said she pointedout that racist incidents on other campuses, including the University ofMissouri in Columbia, have been very visible, and she used the n-word whencomparing KU to them.
“I haven\’t seen thosethings happen, I haven\’t seen that word spray-painted on our campus, I haven\’tseen students physically assaulted,” Quenette said.
Quenette said shecould have apologized “in the moment” if anyone had responded but that no onedid, and the discussion continued.
