A university teacher has been suspended after she admitted to using a racial slur in a discussion about race in class.

In a move that has sparked a debate about balancing academic freedom while avoiding discrimination, Andrea Quenette, who is white, has been suspended by the University of Kansas after five people filed a complaint against her.

Reports said the 33-year teacher had requested a leave of absence, and the university said she will have to stay off campus until an investigation into the incident is completed.

Ms Quenette used the word while teaching an undergraduate class when discussion turned to race issues. The lesson followed protests on a number of college campuses, including the University of Missouri's Columbia campus, over racist incidents.

“I didn’t intend to offend anyone, I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. I didn’t direct my words at any individual or group of people,” she told the Lawrence Journal-World newspaper.

“It was an open conversation about a serious issue that is affecting our campus, and it will affect our teachers. In that regard, I consider it within my purview….to talk about those issues.”

But not everyone approved of what happened in the class on November 12. Amy Schumacher, a first-year doctoral student who was in the class of nine white students and one black student, said most of those present, “just shut down” after Ms Quenette used the word.

Andrea Quenette said she had no intention to cause offence (Twitter)

“It was outright racism,” she told the newspaper. “I don’t think that it was an open dialogue - she wasn’t receptive to hearing any other ideas.”

The formal complaint follows more than a week of public criticism led by graduate students in the communications department. Students have posted messages to Twitter with the hashtag #FireAndreaQuenette.

Ms Quenette has said she is seeking a lawyer to represent her and a fund-raising page set up for her costs had collected $4,500 on Monday.

“She tried her best to help the students realise that it will not always be easy to see racism, especially if they haven’t experienced it firsthand,” the page said of Ms Quenette’s lesson.