"Gender-Based Misconduct"

The biggest thing I didn't realize about this story was the fact that it happened in the "elementary" section of a rather difficult foreign language (Chinese, I assume Mandarin). This is a point at which you're lucky if you can say much of anything at all, and may be struggling to come up with any of the phrases you know under the pressure of being called upon in front of the class.
He got in trouble for doing something completely inoffensive: he referred to himself as handsome in a class.... According to Sweetwood, the incident happened in his Chinese class. He was supposed to say something in Chinese, and that's what he picked. The professor later told him she thought it was a funny remark, but one student had complained. That was just the beginning:
Later that day, my advising dean emailed me to say, "The University's Gender-Based Misconduct Office contacted us because they received a complaint about your behavior towards your Elementary Chinese II professor. It is important we meet to discuss this as soon as possible." I responded in a defiant tone, denying any wrongdoing, though I agreed to meet the next day.
Sweetwood's dean made him promise never to make any upsetting remarks. When the student refused, he was sent to the Gender-Based Misconduct Office, where an administrator attempted to persuade him to abandon his micro-aggressive ways.
If the phrase is so offensive, by the way, why was it among the first things taught to students?

UPDATE: Related.

8 comments:

E Hines said...

Where was the professor after the student whined--and whined about the one's "behavior towards his Elementary Chinese II professor?"

Eric Hines

raven said...

Apparently, being largely state funded, university's have never come across the concept of a "cost-benefit" ratio. This will be a self correcting problem as ever increasing numbers of the competent decide the indoctrination is no longer worth it.


One of the unexamined points- there is a 99 percent chance the special snowflakes have a staggering debt, held by the Fed Gov, which could be used as a lever on them to do whatever the Fed Gov wants done. For example, lead denunciation cadre's, etc.

The most dangerous phrase in the English language happens when solid, working, productive people have been beat down one too many times.
That phrase is, "I just don't give a damn anymore".

ColoComment said...

It's a recurring theme: One or a handful out of many claims to find personal offense in a word or gesture or costume or non-cake or photo or.... And, rather than ask why that one (or just handful) of an audience shouldn't be treated as an outlier (and counseled), the PTB immediately abase themselves in an effort to soothe the "hurt" feelings of that complainant. No matter that in so doing, they ignore that others failed to find any offense and indeed, may fully approve of the basis, but they also tread on the rights, privileges, or intentions of the alleged offender.

That's just back-asswards, isn't it? When and how did we get to this point, that a minority of one can execute such power?

Gringo said...

Where did the complaint originate?
Here it appears that a student originated the complaint:

The professor later told him she thought it was a funny remark, but one student had complained.

Here the complaint appears to have come from perceived misconduct towards the professor.
Later that day, my advising dean emailed me to say, "The University's Gender-Based Misconduct Office contacted us because they received a complaint about your behavior towards your Elementary Chinese II professor.

The complaint may or may not have have originated from the professor. If the complaint originated from the professor, then why would the professor have told the student he was free to speak in her office? That leads me to conclude that the complaint came from a student.

As others have pointed out, reporting a student for a thought error is reminiscent of reporting someone to the Stasi in East Germany for same. Getting the student to confess to his thought error reminds me of the re-education sessions in Mao's China.

And to think that people from my high school graduated from Columbia, and that my grandfather got his Master's from Columbia.

james said...

In the comments it is suggested that the man is slightly disingenuous; that the situation makes more sense if he was flirting with the teacher.

E Hines said...

that the situation makes more sense if he was flirting with the teacher.

Still makes no sense. Flirting with the prof is no big deal.

Eric Hines

raven said...

So I just got back from the Post Office in my sleepy little town and what do I find on the bulletin board there,. but a flyer advertising some "Social Justice: meeting put on by the county "Civil Rights Board".
No doubt it will be inclusive as hell, as long as you are not white, male, Christian, or heterosexual. Or a baker.

Grim said...

Well, white males may be welcome on such a council as long as they are fully tamed and remember their place.