A popular professor at the University of Missouri turned in his resignation Wednesday after igniting controversy when he refused to cancel class for students who claimed to feel unsafe visiting campus.
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A few African American students at the University of Missouri, scene of a showdown in the last week over the administration’s alleged unwillingness to do anything about racism on campus, allegedly received anonymous death threats when the university boss was forced out.
Brigham became a part of the fray when his response to students regarding the non-cancelled exam went viral on social media. He said when he wrote the initial message, he had “failed to understand the depth of fear that students may be experiencing” and “not aware of the Yik Yak threats”.
“If you give in to bullies, they win”, Brigham wrote.
Under intense pressure, Dr. Brigham has both cancelled the exam and resigned from the university, according to screenshots posted online of an email from Dr. Brigham to his students. By holding class at our regular time, I would be forcing my students who do and probably should feel threatened to implicitly disobey me in order to protect their lives by not attending my class. Which means that, were I to tell you something like: ‘We are going to still have class, but stay home if you don’t feel safe…’ (which is what I originally planned to say) I think I would be participating in the marginalization of minority students by tacitly supporting an educational environment in which certain students feel safe while others can not.
Furious students shared Brigham’s contact information, calling on other pupils to send him an email. “I know we are in the South, and I know that we are the minority and racial tensions are really high”, she says. You make you own choice.
“(The statement) made it sound like he would no longer be our professor”, said MU sophomore Cara Passi.
The exam in cancelled.
Dale Brigham, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, wrote in an email to his students that a previously scheduled exam would be held as planned.
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Brigham’s resignation has not been accepted yet by the University. “Also, I am resigning my position”, the emails said. “If my leaders think that my leaving would help, I am all for it”.
