IU Lecturer Allegedly Calls Republicans ‘Bigots’ During Class

Students in one Indiana University class are alleging that the instructor called Republicans “bigots” during a class session, and said that one former statewide elected official “chaps her a**.”

The remarks were allegedly made by Indiana University lecturer Nicole Bolden, who serves as the city clerk for Bloomington, Indiana. The remarks were made during a Leadership and Public Policy class, as reported by The Crimson Post.

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The students, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of academic repercussions, allege that Bolden made the comments on March 18th, while hosting a guest speaker, Judge Noelle Allen, an Administrative Law Judge with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

According to the students, the discussion was initially centered around LGBTQ rights, but quickly transitioned to the topic of artificial insemination. Former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who supported state laws that limited the listing of same-sex couples as biological parents on birth certificates, was then brought into the discussion. Bolden allegedly responded to the mention of Hill by stating that he “chaps her a**” She then, according to students, reviled Republicans as “bigots” for supporting the policy.

Students told Campus Reform that they felt Bolden’s comments were “disrespectful,” “rude,” and indicative of “personal bias.”

One student noted that “it’s kind of disrespectful for someone to make a general statement like that. Especially someone who is supposed to keep their personal bias out of teaching.”

Another stated that she “knew coming to a big university wouldn’t be like home, but [she] really didn’t appreciate how that statement was made.” The student noted that Bolden “didn’t even seem to think or care that there may be Republicans in her class. It was a complete disdain for people who belong to a different party.”

The student added that “[p]ushing partisan narratives doesn’t belong in classrooms where meaningful discussion is encouraged.”

A third student called the comment “shocking” and reflected on how “it’s just tiring having to sit through lectures that always seem to passive aggressively push a liberal narrative.”

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When questioned about the alleged comments by Campus Reform, Bolden stated that “We were speaking in class about an effort on the part of Attorney General Hill and others to reverse a court ruling allowing both members of same sex couples to be listed as parents on the birth certificates of their children.” She continued, stating, “It continues to be my belief that there are Republicans and conservatives who value affording the full measure of dignity to people in birth and death. Denial of such dignity is not reflected in the Indiana Republican Party platform.”

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Bolden, however, directly denied the allegations when speaking with The Crimson Post.

“I did not disparage Republicans as bigots. During our class discussion, it was suggested the reason for a particular belief was due to people being from the Republican Party. I pushed back and said that Republicans as a party did not subscribe to that belief, and that we as a class had read the Indiana Republican Party platform and had not seen that belief listed anywhere.”

A spokesperson for the College Republicans at Indiana University told Campus Reform that Bolden’s statements were “disappointing” and “prejudice[d].”

“It is disappointing when vigorous debate and the free exchange of ideas fall victim to the prejudices of an educator. Vilifying 50% of the country as bigots chills speech in the classroom and furthers political polarization. Once again, a complex issue that deserves nuanced discussion on the merits and disadvantages of both sides has been reduced down to subjective ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’ which does a disservice for all students that earnestly want to understand the complexity of the issue. The professor could have facilitated a nuanced discussion on the issue, but instead chose to use this as an opportunity to push a partisan narrative.”

Bolden is the co-founder of the Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus and sits on the board of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats, a Democratic LGBTQ organization.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @kylehreynolds