Professor forced to take diversity training after using censored words on exam
Professor Jason Kilborn used two censored slurs in a test question about a hypothetical employment discrimination case.
The University of Illinois Chicago is requiring him to undergo diversity training which includes writing self-reflections and meeting with someone who will monitor his progress.
A professor targeted after using censored swear words in an exam question is now being forced to take diversity training in order to be allowed to teach, according to a letter from his university.
Professor Jason Kilborn, who at the University of Illinois Chicago’s John Marshall School of Law, came under fire late last year for using an exam question that contained references to anti-Black and anti-woman slurs.
The terms were not printed in full but identified only by their first letters, n and b. The test question involved a hypothetical workplace discrimination case.
More than 400 people signed a petition condemning Kilborn for using the test question, as Campus Reform previously reported.
A letter from the university states that Kilborn will be required to undergo diversity training, including writing a self-reflection paper following each module. The training was created by Cornell University, and it runs for five weeks. The overall program designed for Kilborn will last for eight weeks, and Kilborn will not be permitted to return to teaching until it is complete. As such, the letter states that Kilborn is expected to resume teaching in Fall 2022.
Kilborn previously told Campus Reform that the university subjected him to a lengthy mental examination and a drug test after learning of his test question.
As part of the new diversity program, an “instructional advisor,” appointed by the university, will meet weekly with Kilborn to “assess whether [he] is gaining insight, learning, and competencies in the subject matter presented, with a particular focus on applying the course content to his work responsibilities as a faculty member.”
For the duration of the program, Kilborn will maintain his salary and benefits. The University says the program “is not punitive.”
The University of Illinois Chicago did not respond to a request for comment.
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