Rutgers clears professor who said he 'hates white people'

Hannan Adely | NorthJersey

Rutgers University has reversed its earlier decision to sanction a professor who said he hates "white people" in a social media rant he claimed was satire.

James Livingston, a tenured history professor, said the comments he posted on Facebook in May were "satirical" criticism of white gentrification in Harlem. Supporters said the university's decision that he violated school policy had threatened the right of professors to speak freely as private citizens.

“I’m relieved that my right to free speech and my academic freedom have been validated by this retraction,” Livingston said in a statement Thursday.

The controversy flared after Livingston wrote on Facebook on May 31 that he’d come from a Harlem burger restaurant that was “overrun with little Caucasian a-holes."

“OK, officially, I now hate white people,” wrote Livingston. “I am a white people, for God’s sake, but can we keep them—us—us out of my neighborhood?”

The comments were widely shared on social media and covered by local and national news media. Members of the public complained to Rutgers, prompting an Office of Employment Equity investigation.

The university concluded that Livingston violated its discrimination and harassment policy. But on Wednesday, officials notified the professor that it had reversed the decision, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a free-speech organization that represented him in the matter.

“FIRE is pleased that Rutgers did the right thing and reversed the charge of racial discrimination against Professor Livingston,” said Marieke Tuthill Beck-Coon, FIRE’s director of litigation. “Any other result would have undermined the free speech and academic freedom rights of all Rutgers faculty members.”

A Rutgers spokesperson declined to say anything Thursday, saying the university does not comment on personnel matters.

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Livingston, who has taught at the school since 1988, had faced disciplinary action “up to and including discharge.”

FIRE argued that Rutgers failed to identify any complaints by Rutgers students or faculty members accusing Livingston of discriminatory conduct. The group wrote to Rutgers President Robert Barchi raising concerns about Livingston’s First Amendment rights and stating that the decision "poses a serious threat to the academic freedom of Rutgers faculty and impermissibly hinders their ability to fulfill their essential role in our democracy.”

On Aug. 29, Barchi asked administrators to reevaluate its ruling, noting that while he found Livingston’s speech offensive, “few values are as important to the University as the protection of our First Amendment rights—even when the speech we are protecting is insensitive and reckless.”

After the initial post in May, Livingston said he received about 230 threats of physical violence and insults through his Rutgers faculty page and Facebook.

In a statement, Livingston thanked FIRE and the American Association of University Professors for their support.