Allegations of anti-Semitism are part of a cultural problem – The GW Hatchet

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Over the past year, instances of racism and discrimination in the classroom have not been a matter of if, but when. Like clockwork, professors are targeting students with prejudice on the basis of their identity, resulting in an outpouring of condemnation and outrage, but rarely consequences for the professors involved. Unless those in charge want this familiar pattern to become part of the fabric of GW, they must act now.

In the most recent example of discriminatory behavior in the classroom, a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office earlier this month alleges that assistant professor of clinical psychology Lara Sheehi created a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students in her Diversity I course, part of GW’s Professional Psychology program, final semester.

Beyond anti-Semitic comments and actions that reportedly included Sheehi telling a Jewish-Israeli student, it’s not your fault you were born in Israel, Jewish students also told Sheehi about their concerns about the readings in class, which included references to racist treatment against Arab and Muslim people and Israel. – Palestinian conflict. And a Jewish student told Sheehi that a guest speaker’s presentation on the conflict made him feel vulnerable and unsafe because she believed he was targeting Israelis and Jews, according to the complaint. Sheehi reportedly responded by saying unequivocally that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism.

The complaint also alleges that the University violated Title VI after faculty and administrators retaliated with disciplinary proceedings against students who shared concerns about Sheehis’ conduct and coursework.

The Civil Rights Office and a third party are investigating the allegations, which are another reminder that authority exercised by faculty should be used to educate students, not to discriminate against them.

George Washington University strongly condemns anti-Semitism and hatred, discrimination and prejudice in all its forms, acting university president Mark Wrighton said in a statement after the allegations against Sheehi were made public. We remain committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and free from harassment, hostility or marginalization.

Condemning anti-Semitism, hatred, discrimination and prejudice in all their forms is as critical as it is easy. passed after the desecration of a Torah scroll at the fraternity house on the Tau Kappa Epsilons campus in November 2021. And let’s start again now targeting Jewish and Israeli students because their faith or country of origin is, as for any act of discrimination, unacceptable.

But after a year of significant racist and ableist incidents in the classroom, that commitment to inclusivity still eludes the University. In January, GWTeach professor Alicia Bitler used the N-word in class, and assistant industry professor of decision science Marie Matta refused a service dog to students in the class. In September, human rights professor Michael Stoil defended racist comments, including his use of the N-word during a phone call with a provost, to students in his course. Bitler and Matta apologized for their actions without facing any real consequences, while Stoil defended what he said before stepping down shortly after.

There is a difference between academic freedom and blatant discrimination. Sheehi has the right to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in her class, with the caveat that no professor has the right to allegedly denigrate students for their heritage. They also can’t hide behind the idea of ​​starting a conversation or bringing up a difficult topic to excuse their racist behavior, that’s just plain wrong.

When these incidents occur with alarming regularity, the lofty rhetoric that GW is a tolerant and inclusive environment rings hollow. Whether it’s petitions and viral videos in the case of Liza Malinsky, the student whose service dog Matta was banned from class, or more formal complaints to the Department of Education in this case Recently, students seek more immediate redress and fairer outcomes than GW can provide with its slow and opaque internal reporting procedures. And there are probably countless instances of bias, prejudice, and microaggressions that go unreported.

Something has gone wrong and GW’s faculty have a problem. When faculty power over students combines with the biases they harbor, students suffer the consequences of discrimination, harassment, emotional distress, and, as in the allegations against Sheehi, retaliatory disciplinary action that can punish those who talk about what they face.

What is so striking in this particular case is that the discrimination went beyond a single teacher or a single class. The complaint says the faculty of psychology programs voted to subject students who shared criticism of Sheehi with academic staff and a dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences to disciplinary proceedings. According to the complaint, professors in the program threatened to put a permanent negative mark on students’ academic records if they refused to explain the damage they were causing.

Although ignorance is not an excuse for bias or prejudice, it is an explanation. But professors who knowingly and maliciously engage in discriminatory behavior against their students cannot and should not be part of this university. To this end, leaders should strive to train faculty to be aware of their biases and to reconsider the positions of faculty who do not uphold the values ​​of diversity and inclusion that GW claims are at the heart of this institution. .

Whether it’s general awareness training or courses intended to inform the policies that govern GW, professors need to know how to create an inclusive classroom environment for students from diverse backgrounds. Instead of reacting to incidents in the classroom if, or realistically when, they happen, the University can prevent some of them from happening in the first place. Educating faculty on proper classroom conduct and encouraging them to take student concerns seriously could begin to address the reality that GW and its classrooms are simply not inclusive as they should be.

GW has not accumulated hundreds of teachers from around the world overnight, and it will take time to assess and ensure that the teachers who interact with students on a daily basis understand their concerns and respect who they are. Fostering an inclusive community takes actions, not just words. The earlier the University starts, the better.

The Editorial Board is made up of Hatchet staff members and operates separately from the Newsroom. This week’s staff editorial was written by Opinions Editor Ethan Benn and Contributing Opinions Editor Julia Koscelnik, based on discussions with Research Assistant Zachary Bestwick, Opinions Editor-in-Chief sports Nuria Diaz, managing editor Jaden DiMauro, culture editor Clara Duhon, managing editor Grace Miller and social media director. Ethan Valliath.

This article originally appeared in the January 30, 2023 issue of The Hatchet.

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