A Black adjunct professor at a New Jersey community college has been fired for making “racially insensitive” comments during a Fox News appearance.
Lisa Durden was let go from her position at Essex County College just two weeks after appearing on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
While discussing a Memorial Day event held exclusively for Black people, Carlson asked Durden’s thoughts, to which she responded, “Boo hoo hoo. You white people are angry because you couldn’t use your white privilege card” to attend the event.
College officials said the received many complaints about her interview and suspended her with pay just two days after it aired
College President Anthony Munroe said the school “supports and affirms the right of free speech and independent views and expressions of those views” for faculty and staff ,but also stated that “[Durben’s] employment with us and potential impact on students required our immediate review into what seemed to have become a very contentious and divisive issue.” In a statement announcing the firing Munroe wrote, “The character of this institution mandates that we embrace diversity, inclusion, and unity. Racism cannot be fought with more racism.”
Durben on the other hand says the school “publicly lynched” her, according to NJ.com. She is considering taking legal action.
Her colleagues have begun a petition to reinstate her with over 500 signatures.
“I find it shocking that an African-American woman would be so disrespected at her place of employment for merely exercising her First Amendment right to free speech,” said Professor Jennifer Wager.