RT.com
07 Dec 2021, 23:42 GMT+10
A British university professor is under investigation after he called a student walkout, which was staged over a guest speaker's allegedly racist and transphobic address, ?pathetic.?
Professor Tim Luckhurst, who heads Durham University's South College, made the remark when the students walked out during the controversial speech by right-wing journalist Rod Liddle on Friday. He also reportedly shouted "at South College, we value freedom of speech!"
Liddle, who works for The Spectator magazine, had accused the political left of ignoring science when it came to transgender issues. According to The Telegraph, he also argued colonialism is "not remotely the major cause of Africa's problems" and claimed that institutional racism was not to blame for underachieving black students. Students apparently shouted "disgusting!" and "racist!" at Liddle as he left the venue later.
Although Luckhurst emailed students to apologize, the university launched an investigation into his conduct over the weekend, as a "matter of urgency." While "categorically" disagreeing with Liddle's comments, school authorities noted that they were "concerned" about the "behaviours exhibited" during the evening, which fell "short of those that we expect."
Luckhurst has reportedly been barred from official duties and placed under a gag order regarding the controversy. The university's student union has reportedly stated his position at the institution was "untenable" while the University and College Union, which represents lecturers, said it was "utterly appalled."
After the speech, a poster by LGBTQ charity Stonewall that read "Some people are trans. Get over it!" was apparently pasted on the door of Luckhurst's office. According to student newspaper Palatinate, a number of students are organizing protests against Luckhurst this week.
In addition, students have written an open letter to the university's vice-chancellor, criticizing both Liddle's remarks as "transphobic, sexist, racist and classist," as well as the decision to invite him to the event. The letter, signed by more than 1,000 people, calls for Luckhurst to apologize. Student groups have also demanded greater transparency in the selection of guest speakers at college events.
Following the backlash, Luckhurst apologized to students via an email that reportedly said the students had "as much right to absent themselves from the speech as my guest had to make it." He said his outburst at the walkout "reflected my sincere commitment to freedom of speech."
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Raleigh Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Raleigh Times.
More InformationPARIS, France: French farmers brought traffic to a crawl around Paris and gathered outside the National Assembly on May 26, using their...
HANOI, Vietnam: Amid shifting global trade dynamics and growing concerns over U.S. tariffs, France and Vietnam have signed more than...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were weaker Wednesday, following Tuesday's heady gains when the Dow Jones jumped 741 points. Bond...
SAO PAULO, Brazil: Amid a surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and growing competition in Brazil, Chinese automaker GAC has officially...
CHICAGO, Illinois: McDonald's is closing its experimental beverage spinoff, CosMc's, less than two years after launching the standalone...
BEIJING, China: China's Lenovo reported a steep 64 percent drop in fourth-quarter profit, falling significantly short of analyst expectations...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he believed God was behind his election loss in 2020, even though he has...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: U.S. drugmakers are charging significantly more for new treatments, particularly those targeting rare diseases,...
(Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images) CONCORD, N.C. -- This time, Corey Heim didn't just slam the door on his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN...
ABU DHABI, 16th May, 2025 (WAM) -- Etihad Airways has announced a new addition to its growing US network with the launch of non-stop...
State action to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change can make a big difference, even in the absence of a strong federal...
The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have signed PThomas Morsteadand LBChazz Surrattto one-year deals. In order to make room...