NYU film school student Tisch caught writing racist slurs in class

An NYU student was caught writing racist slurs in a notepad during a seminar. When asked why they did this, they pointed to a black student seated a few rows ahead.

An NYU student was seen writing racist slurs on a notepad during a 50-person film and television class at the Tisch School of the Arts last week, leaving some students in the class worried about their safety. A student who is no longer a student at NYU was escorted to campus security by a classmate, after which a campus security officer questioned several students in the class about the incident, according to two students present.

According to Addison Nice, a student in the class, some students left the class called High School Colloquium: Exit Strategies immediately after the incident. Nice said the student was first discovered when two classmates noticed what they were writing in their notebook and alerted Professor Sharon Badal. Badal then asked the student why they write insults.

In response, the student pointed his finger at a black student in the second row of the class, according to Nice, who added that the perpetrator did not give his name when the professor asked. Instead, they asked to leave the classroom and soon left the room.

Badal did not respond to questions about the incident, instead referring WSN to NYU’s public relations department.

“Federal law limits the university’s ability to share specific information about incidents with individual students,” New York University spokesman John Beckman said. “This incident has been promptly reported and the relevant offices are participating and responding in accordance with university policies and protocols. We are also providing support to students in the class who may have been affected by the incident.”

In cases of student misconduct, including discrimination, bias, harassment, and retaliation, on campus, NYU Non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy encourages victims to report the behavior and states that the university will take appropriate investigative and disciplinary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

An email dated January 26 from Devon Pryor, assistant dean of student affairs at Tisch, and Ezra Sachs, chair of the film and television department at the school, told students in the class that after the university looked into the incident, it found no reason to move forward. anxiety. The email also stated that the university had taken the steps necessary to respond to the incident.

“Our goal—the goal of Professor Badal and the goal of many colleagues across the university—was for you to feel supported, cared for, and safe, and for you to continue your studies comfortably and safely,” an email signed by Pryor and Sacks reads.

Added knives that a group of about 12 students remained in the classroom after classes ended, and that some of them told campus security in the building about what had happened.

Another student in the class, who requested anonymity out of concern for his personal safety, said they did not recognize the student writing in the notebook or any of their classmates. They added that Badal continued to teach the class after the student left and that they immediately left after class ended because they felt uncomfortable.

“I don’t think she’s ever experienced anything like this before, so while she may have made the wrong decision to continue in class, she also probably didn’t know what to do,” the student said. “I’m sure she understood that it was the wrong decision to continue classes, but this is an opportunity for the school to teach professors how to deal with such situations.”

Carmo Moniz contributed reporting. Contact Adrianne Nehme at [email protected] and Bruna Horvath [email protected]