A New York City university professor was forced to apologize after she was busted on a hot mic making a “blatantly racist” remark about black students — as calls for her to be fired continued to escalate.
Allyson Friedman, an associate professor at Hunter College, sparked widespread fury after she inadvertently interrupted a black eighth-grade student’s concerns about the potential shutdown of her school during a public Community Education Council meeting on Feb 10.
“They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school,” Friedman reportedly said while her mic was live.
“If you train a black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back,” she continued. “You don’t have to tell them anymore.”
Friedman, who was attending the meeting virtually as a parent, has since claimed she was actually trying to explain systematic racism to her own child “by referencing an example of an obviously racist trope” — but her full remarks weren’t completely audible.
“My complete comments make clear these abhorrent views are not my own, nor were they directed at any student or group,” Friedman told the New York Times.
“I fully support these courageous students in their efforts to stop school closures.”
“However, I recognize these comments caused harm and pain, while that was not my intent I do truly apologize,” she added.
The backlash against her was swift and calls for her to be fired continue to mount.
“@Hunter_College must fire Allyson Friedman immediately,” City Council member Chi Osse said on X.
“@CUNY cannot apply one standard for political speech and another for explicit anti-clack racism. A university that moved swiftly to discipline pro-Palestine activism cannot turn around and excuse racist vitriol directed at black children.”