[Oxymandias]

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/poli ... /805233523

A Massachusetts college president is apologizing after campus police were called to investigate a black student quietly eating her lunch in a common room.

Oumou Kanoute, a student at Smith College, posted what happened to Facebook, saying she was sitting in a dining hall when "a white staff member at the school reported [her] to the police as a suspicious black male sitting in the common room."

https://w3.cdn.anvato.net/player/prod/v ... OiIgIn0%3D

In the video, an officer is seen asking Kanoute a series of questions.

"I wasn't making any noise, disturbing anyone," said Kanoute. "I was just eating, minding my business, not bothering anyone at all."

Smith College President Kathleen McCartney said in a letter Thursday the college is hiring a "third-party investigator" to review the incident and said every Smith staff member will undergo mandatory anti-bias training.

Officials say an employee at the Northampton college called police Tuesday to report someone appeared "out of place" in the building.

The school later said there was nothing suspicious. McCartney apologized to the undergraduate student, who is working as a teaching assistant this summer.

In a statement, the college said:

"A Campus Police officer responded to the site and spoke with the individual, a Smith undergraduate student of color, who was on a break from her on-campus job. Campus Police found nothing suspicious about the student's presence."

"Someone could have easily approached me, I'm 5 feet 2 inches, literally 120 pounds sitting next to a teddy bear if you've seen the video, so I'm not sure how much of a threat I could possibly be to anyone," said Kanoute. "I want them to explain their logical reasoning behind what about my behavior is so suspicious."

Kanoute is also taking the opportunity to tell young students who find themselves in this situation to make sure their voice is heard.

"Continue to work hard and don't let anyone define you or question why you are there," said Kanoute. "You work just as hard as your counterparts and just make the most out of your experience."

"bLaCk OpReSsIoN dOeSn'T eXiSt! BlAcKs aRe tHe pRiVlIgEd OnEs!"

[Decky]

I really can't imagine why black people stay i the United States, they are treated as subhumans to this day by the decedents of Europe's trash that we exiled to the colonies. When Moses freed his people from slavery to the Egyptians they went somewhere else rather than stopping there. I can't imagine why a black person would have any interest in living in that shithole (then again I don't understand why anyone does).

[blackjack21]

Yeah, I wish the Democrats would broadcast their propaganda to people in other parts of the world, so immigrants stop coming to the United States to face terrible oppression.

[Oxymandias]

@blackjack21

I never knew Fox News was a democrat organization.

[blackjack21]

@blackjack21

I never knew Fox News was a democrat organization.

They're all a bunch of big business commies.

[Oxymandias]

@blackjack21

Because the first thing that pops into my mind when thinking about big businesses is communism. Sure......

[MistyTiger]

So you can't expect politically correct behavior for a college? Shocking! *sniggers*

Big business makes me think of fat, ugly rich men who wear lots of gaudy jewelry.

[ThirdTerm]

Oumou Kanoute, a student at Smith College, posted what happened to Facebook, saying she was sitting in a dining hall when "a white staff member at the school reported [her] to the police as a suspicious black male sitting in the common room."

This student is female but she was mistaken as a black male, which was why she was reported to the campus police. Smith College is a women's liberal arts college and white or black males are clearly out of place. Probably she was mistaken as an intruder because all students are gone during the summer break and she was teaching chemistry to high school kids who were attending a summer program on campus. This black student was likely to be the only student left on campus.

It would be easy to just call out to the student and confirm whether or not it is a male. It does not require calling the police.

I think this individual is likely to be a catering staff or cleaner, who is not used to speak to students. The racist part is that this white staffer thought the black student was a male intruder because she couldn't tell her gender from a distance. I'm familiar with the situation because I have been to Newnham College, the oldest women's college in Britain.

[Oxymandias]

@ThirdTerm

Apparently it isn't good enough for the staff member to approach the girl and confirm whether or not their assumptions are correct. It is required to call the police if there are even suspicions of there being a male in the vicinity? If the student was white, there would be no such situation and the staff member would've gladly asked the student about the nature of their presence. This is especially considering how close she was to the staff member and how she had a teddy bear right next to here. It would be easy to just call out to the student and confirm whether or not it is a male. It does not require calling the police.

[DocZaius]

every Smith staff member will undergo mandatory anti-bias training.

While I understand why the legal department might want to mandate this training, it seems unfair to the 99.9% of employees who didn't report a "suspicious black male."

I mean, have you ever actually sat through one of those presentations? It's torture.

[One Degree]

While I understand why the legal department might want to mandate this training, it seems unfair to the 99.9% of employees who didn't report a "suspicious black male."

I mean, have you ever actually sat through one of those presentations? It's torture.

Yes, there is the problem with this. It is wrong to think the whole world needs punished or ‘trained’ because one person did something stupid. It happens. No need for hysteria. Punish or educate the individual.