NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — A University of Oklahoma journalism professor who used a racial slur during a class lecture will step down from teaching the course for the rest of the semester and undergo racial sensitivity training, the college’s dean said told students and faculty on Friday.
In a letter to faculty and students, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication Dean Ed Kelley said professor Peter Gade “has agreed that this episode is a chance to learn and grow.”
Kelley said Gade will engage in the university’s program in culturally competent communication and meet one-on-one with the university’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staff.
Gade, the director of graduate studies at the college, apologized earlier this week for using the N-word during a class lecture. The remark came during a discussion in which Gade said a student’s comment about journalists connecting to younger generations was akin to using the phrase, “OK, boomer,” a mocking reference to baby boomers.
Gade did not return messages seeking comment Friday.