University Dumps White Professor Who Dressed as Aretha Franklin For Halloween

LEXI LONAS
The College Fix
Nov. 12, 2018

A public university has apparently blacklisted a professor after a photo of him in blackface went viral last week.

James Madison University said the adjunct professor of cycling, Tim Richardson, was not currently employed by the Virginia school and would not be invited back.

He's also been dumped as an affiliate in a contract between JMU and the bicycle business he co-owns, which operates a shop in the campus recreation center, according to The Breeze student newspaper. The broader contract is set to expire in April.

The cause of Richardson's troubles, as with others in academia, was a Halloween costume worn at a private party. A University of Oregon law professor who did the same thing in 2016 was put on administrative leave for "discriminatory harassment."

Though she tweeted the photo of him in blackface, Abigail Thibeault later tweeted that she was satisfied by his subsequent apology. Many others on social media were less forgiving.

Last week I went to a party and a man I’d never met was in black face as “urethra Franklin.” I was wrong because I did not confront him. He is an owner of @ShenandoahBikes and an adjunct professor @JMU. This is not okay and the community should know this happened. pic.twitter.com/7DIqrN7Jsa
— Abigail Thibeault (@amthibeault) November 7, 2018

While the administration is refusing to confirm whether Richardson's costume led to his apparent ban, a JMU student called on others to "report the racist behavior" to JMU's Office of Equal Opportunity.

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