A well-known sociological experiments concerning racism was conducted by a Grade 3 teacher, Jane Elliott, in Iowa in the late 1960s. To demonstrate the negative effects of prejudice, Elliott divided her class according to eye colour. Those with blue eyes were given special privileges and praise while those with brown eyes were treated as inferiors.

As may be expected, the children internalized the message their teacher was sending. The blue-eyed group came to see themselves as entitled to their privileges and spoke harshly of their brown-eyed classmates. The brown-eyed kids lost their passion and drive.

Elliott’s experiment is criticized today. It would never pass a university research ethics review. How ironic it is, then, that universities are conducting a similar experiment — day in, and day out — as professors proselytize their students in the doctrine of white privilege.

There are many nuances to the concept of white privilege. Its most problematic incarnation promotes the notion that one group — whites — for various reasons are deserving of reduced status and opportunity in society while other groups — people of colour — are deserving of preferential treatment.

We know the consequences of Elliott’s experiment. If there was any question as to what could happen on a university campus should students internalize the message of white privilege, we now have the answer.

Protests began at Evergreen State College in the state of Washington about two weeks ago. Biology professor Bret Weinstein drew the ire of campus inquisitors for his refusal to participate in an event that called for Caucasian students and faculty to remain off campus for a day.

Writing to the organizer of the segregation exercise, Weinstein called it “an act of oppression.”

His letter became public and his class was shut down by a student mob that viewed his remarks as racist. A video shows Weinstein attempting to respond to his critics outside his room but one of his accusers shouts him down saying, “We are not speaking on terms — on terms of white privilege. This is not a discussion.”

Advised by campus police that his safety could not be guaranteed, Weinstein has been teaching in a park since then.

Following Weinstein, the “offended” mob of students turned their attention to college president, George Bridges.

If Weinstein is a heretic when it comes to white privilege, the words and actions of Bridges show he is a true believer.

A YouTube video shot shortly after the shutdown of Weinstein’s class shows Bridges at the front of a large room full of angry students, most non-whites.

He nods as one attendee, apparently angered at his hesitation to fire Weinstein outright, yells, “That’s how whiteness works! Whiteness is the most violent f–ing system to ever breathe!”

We also see Bridges listen thoughtfully as one student refers to professors as “white-ass faculty members” and as another suggests Bridges’ own racial background (he’s white) is inferior saying, “You’re speaking to your ancestor, all right? We’ve been here before you. We built these cities, we had civilization way before you ever had … coming out your caves.”

As the suggested topic of discussion was racism, one might think Bridges would have asked the protesters to refrain from making bigoted statements themselves. But as other protesters reminded him, as a white male, it was not his place to speak on matters of race.

Later in a public response Bridges praised the rabble for their “passion” and “courage” while conceding to most of their demands and promising no repercussions.

At one time, universities, fighting claims of institutionalized racism, embraced the notion that people should be judged individually on the content of their character and not as a group based on the colour of their skin.

Now, under the guise of white privilege, institutionalized racism is back with a vengeance.

Sadly, for every radical movement there is its radical inversion. On Thursday, state troopers were called to Evergreen State and the campus was locked down because an unidentified person, potentially a white supremacist, called in a gun threat.

Those at universities who think promoting one group over another can ever work out well would be wise to remember the lessons from a Grade 3 class in Iowa.

David Millard Haskell is Associate Professor of Liberal Arts at Wilfrid Laurier University