Mizzou Chaos: Another Resignation over Supposed Racial Insensitivity

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

In a week of chaos at the University of Missouri, a popular professor has resigned over criticism that he would not cancel classes after rumors of “threats” to students swept through the campus.

Professor Dale E. Brigham, who is listed  as Associate Teaching Professor Nutrition & Exercise Physiology, said in an email that he was resigning and had cancelled an exam and classes.

The career-ending kerfuffle came in the wake of racial tensions ratcheted up by radical black activsts that resulted in the school’s President and Chancellor resigning on Monday.

An online threat came in Tuesday night and as the Washington Post reported:

Although the source and credibility were questionable, their ugliness was not and they stoked fears of a school shooting and driving students — particularly minorities — from campus dorms.

“I’m going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see,” read one post on the anonymous message app Yik Yak.

(…)

University of Missouri Police have apprehended the suspect who posted threats to campus on YikYak and other social media,” the department announced on its Web site. “The suspect is in MUPD custody and was not located on or near the MU campus at the time of the threat.”

(…)

“There are no credible threats to campus MUPD and campus officials are on the scene,” replied the university’s official Twitter account.

Despite the “no credible threat,” a number of students in Brigham’s Nutritional Science 1034 class wrote to try to avoid coming to class on an exam day.

Brigham responded by saying, in part, “If you don’t feel safe coming to class, then don’t come to class. I will be there, and there will be an exam administered in our class.”

Brigham continued:

If you give into bullies, they win. The only way bullies are deflated is by standing up to them. If we cancel the exam, they win; if we go through with it, they lose.

I know which side I am on. You make you own choice.

A student named Jasmine Birt was unhappy with the professor’s response and took to social media. On Tuesday night, she wrote :

Other students complained on Twitter as well.

Wednesday morning, a student named Torri Dawson wrote to the professor.

how can tell a student to face to bullies when there threats that he will die? (sic) As well as fellow black students ! (sic) He is in fear for his life and you are telling him to sill rish his life to come to YOUR class to take a test? Are you kidding? these aren’t bullies we are talking about…(sic)

As for being the headline of a Washington Post story the night before, Dr. Brigham responsed by at 9:43 Wednesday, saying:

The exam in cancelled. Our students will be able to take the exam at an alternate date with no loss of point. No one will have to come to class today. And, I am resigning my position.

According to a recent story on the student-written paper The Missorian, “Jasmine Birt is an MU sophomore studying textile management. She’s from Chicago.” Ms. Birt is quoted as complaining about racism, saying “A couple of girls were saying, ‘Oh, look at that black girl, she’s so ugly.'”

A number of students expressed shock over the professor’s suddent resignation on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Heyy_Sade/status/664499440988753920

Others were happy that Brigham had left.

https://twitter.com/ErinMurray16/status/664486834710409216

Once again at the University of Missouri, the bullies won.

Follow investigative reporter and Citizen Journalism Boot Camp founder Lee Stranahan on Twitter at @Stranahan.

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