Following “racist remarks” made by Purdue Northwest chancellor Thomas Keon, a civil rights advocacy group has planned a protest.
On December 10, Chancellor Keon delivered the commencement address at Purdue Northwest. Keon stated that when transitioning from the previous speaker, he made a “unplanned, off-the-cuff response.”
On Wednesday, Keon issued an apology statement in which he expressed his “truly sorry.”
“We are all human beings. I made a mistake, and I assure you that I did not mean to offend you, and my remarks do not reflect my personal or our institutional values. In the true spirit of diversity and inclusion that is a cornerstone of PNW, I will learn from this and assure you that Purdue Northwest and I will take action to avoid such blunders in the future “According to Keon’s statement to the Pacific Northwest community.
The Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA) issued a statement ahead of the protest on Friday, calling Keon’s remarks “were a racist attempt at humor gone wrong.”
According to the group, Keon’s apology is insufficient.
The OCA urged the chancellor to apologize in front of the entire community, not just the PNW community. They also requested that the university reconsider the chancellor’s Poston.
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