Beyond My Ken via Wikimedia Commons / Hunter College
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Allyson Friedman, the Hunter College professor accused of making what the school described as “abhorrent remarks” during a Community Education Council District 3 Zoom meeting while students were testifying, has been placed on leave. The college said the move is pending the outcome of an investigation.
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Hunter College President Nancy Cantor announced the decision in a message to the college community on Wednesday, writing that the college is investigating the matter under its conduct and nondiscrimination policies.“Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employee has been placed on leave,” Cantor wrote.
The president also noted that the incident “unfolded at a meeting where Black History Month was being celebrated and the pernicious and enduring effects of anti-Black systemic racism were being discussed, especially with regard to the role of educational institutions in addressing them.”
Cantor said she, along with the provost, chief diversity officer, and vice president of student affairs, have begun reaching out to constituencies across campus “to listen, learn, and discuss ways that we can continue striving together to make Hunter the fully inclusive educational environment we aspire for it to be.”
The college has also made counseling services available to students, faculty, and staff who may need support.
Friedman — a Center School parent — was captured on the meeting recording making the remarks while a student from the Community Action School was testifying about the possible relocation of several Upper West Side schools. In the video, Friedman can be heard saying: “They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school. It’s like, if you train a Black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back door — you don’t have to tell them anymore.”
Multiple attendees also described additional comments, including that Friedman insinuated students of color could not learn as well as white students and suggested they would end up in cleaning jobs. The Community Action School’s student body is predominantly Black and Latino.
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Superintendent Dr. Reginald Higgins described the comments as “racially offensive and rooted in anti-Blackness,” writing in an email to the District 3 community that they “demeaned an entire predominantly Black and Latinx school community, disrespected the student presenter, and caused real harm to those present.”Friedman previously issued a public apology, acknowledging that her words “were wrong and caused real harm,” but characterizing the incident as the result of an “inadvertent unmute” while she was “trying to explain the concept of systemic racism by referencing a historical example” in a separate conversation.
“My remarks were not directed at the student speaker and they do not reflect my beliefs or values,” Friedman wrote. “I take full responsibility for their impact, and I am deeply sorry to the students, families, educators, and community members who were hurt.”
During the meeting itself, Friedman’s only response had been a message in the Zoom chat approximately 40 minutes after the remarks: “Deepest apology for the inappropriate comment — Zoom mishap.”
CEC District 3 has announced that a formal statement regarding the incident will be discussed and voted on in public at its next meeting on March 3, in accordance with Open Meetings Law.
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