A former English professor at Pennsylvania State University is suing the institution on the grounds of alleged racial discrimination against him and other White staff members.
Alleged Biased Grading Practices
Zack De Piero, the professor in question, is 40 years old. He taught English and Composition at Penn State-Abington from 2018 to 2022. The lawsuit details De Piero’s claims of biased grading practices and promotion of critical race theory within the university.
The English Language Is Racist
De Piero’s lawsuit claims that he was compelled to grade Hispanic and Black students differently. It also details exercises based on critical race theory – exercises that allegedly made White staff members feel “terrible.” Moreover, De Piero claims he was made to tell students that the English language is racist.
AAVE and Other Dialects
De Piero is potentially referring to accent and dialect discrimination, which is when White, middle-class individuals claim dialects such as AAVE (African-American Vernacular English) are inherently “incorrect” and discriminate based on that belief. In reality, such dialects are simply a cultural difference. Language is fluid and it changes depending on where you are and what community you’re in. Moreover, the name “SAE” (Standard American English) implies that the dialect associated with White, middle-class individuals is the norm – the “standard.” It’s possible that where De Piero claims he was told to grade Hispanic and Black students differently, he was actually instructed to allow different dialects in work produced by such individuals.
Anti-Racist Workshops
When De Piero told university officials about his perceived discrimination, they allegedly retaliated by lowering his scores on his annual performance review and by filing a bullying and harassment complaint against him. The lawsuit also alleges that the director of the Affirmative Action Office made derogatory comments about White people and told De Piero to attend anti-racist workshops.
The Myth of “Reverse Racism”
Some of the workshops allegedly showed a slide titled “White Teachers Are the Problem.” De Piero perceived this to be “racist.” Racism is prejudice against someone based on race when those prejudices are reinforced by systems of power. Prejudice against White people is not reinforced by such systems, as White people largely have the power, and therefore is not racism. This highlights one of the many potential reasons De Piero may have been advised to attend anti-racist workshops.
The Phenomenon of White Fragility
De Piero centered himself in conversations around race and seemingly thought he was the victim. He described the university as an environment that imposed a sense of sin on White individuals, compelling them to repent for their historical actions. The professor seemingly thought his discomfort was more important than ensuring all White people are aware of their history – a phenomenon known as “White fragility.”
Alleged Discrimination Against White People
De Piero alleges that White staff members were discriminated against. One example involved former equity officer Alina Wong. The officer allegedly led a breathing exercise in which she told White staff to hold their breath longer than others to “feel the pain that George Floyd endured.” De Piero perceived this exercise to be discrimination.
Online Commenters Were Shocked
Online commenters were shocked by De Piero’s story. One person wrote: “Black people are out here getting beaten and murdered every day and this guy thinks a metaphorical breathing exercise is discrimination. No wonder they asked him to attend an anti-racist workshop.”
Others Discussed Dialects
Some online commenters discussed different dialects and their validity. One individual wrote: “It’s not super clear from the information given but it sounds like he was told he needs to stop telling people that AAVE is incorrect. He’s making it sound like he was told to just pass them no matter what but I highly doubt that. Sounds like he’s a pretentious, White, middle-class guy who thinks his English is the only correct English.”
Progressive, Liberal Leftists
Some commenters embarrassed themselves. “Progressive, liberal leftists are evil,” one claimed. “All three of those words mean vastly different things. Are you talking about progressives, liberals, or leftists? Liberals and leftists are further apart than Republicans and Democrats. We’re talking about the difference between a capitalist person and a communist person here,” another hit back.
Some Commenters Were Emotional
Some commenters were a little more emotional in their responses. “What a disgusting human being,” one person wrote, presumably describing De Piero. “Everyone involved in this, except the victims, needs to be fired as soon as possible,” another wrote, seemingly talking about De Piero’s superiors.
Others Wanted More Information
A fair few commenters wanted more information about the story. “I think there’s more to this,” one person wrote. “I’d like to see more about his claim about grading Black and Hispanic students differently before I form an opinion,” another said. “From what I’ve read, it sounds like he’s giving minimal info in order to play the victim as best as he can,” another suggested.
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