Students want prof fired for allegedly falling asleep during anti-racism zoom call

Students are calling for a New York professor to be fired for allegedly falling asleep during an “anti-racist” meeting held on Zoom.

Marymount Manhattan student Caitlin Gagnon started a petition calling for the removal of Theater Arts Associate Professor Patricia Simon after she allegedly fell asleep during a town hall held to discuss the adoption of an “anti-racist” framework.

The petition has so far racked up close to 2,000 signatures calling for Simon to be fired. 

[RELATED: Michigan State researcher steps down after ‘Twitter mob’ labels him racist]

“This is a petition that is demanding the removal a faculty member [sic] who does not align with the anti-racist views and actions that were promised to be adopted by the department earlier this week at the Town Hall meetings,” the petition reads. “It has been brought to the attention of the students that Patricia Simon was sleeping during the Town Hall Meeting that took place on June 29th.”

The petition alleges that Simon’s alleged nap “only capitalized on a pattern of negligence and disrespect,” and that she “has a history of ignoring instances of racism in the form of racial profiling within the program, and enabling the racist and sizeist actions and words of the vocal coaches under her jurisdiction.” 

[RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Dean fired after saying ‘EVERYONE’S LIFE MATTERS’ in email]

But  Simon told Campus Reform that she didn’t even fall asleep

“I was not asleep as is implied at any point during the meeting,” she said, adding, “the photo used was taken without permission when I was looking down or briefly resting my Zoom weary eyes with my head tilted back which I must do in order to see my computer screen through my trifocal progressive lenses. I listened with my ears and heart the entire meeting.”

Follow the author of this article on Twitter:@Jess__Custodio