Georgetown University Law Center fired a professor over “reprehensible statements” made concerning Black students during a Zoom call, the law school’s dean confirmed Thursday.
Another professor who was seen nodding in agreement during the conservation has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The university immediately terminated its relationship with Sandra Sellers after a recording of the video chat was shared online and drew national attention, according to a statement from Bill Treanor, dean of the law center.
“I hate to say this,” Sellers said on the call when discussing the evaluation of students. “I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks — happens almost every semester. And it’s like, ‘Oh, come on.’ You know? You get some really good ones. But there are also usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.”
Sellers was speaking to fellow professor David Batson, who can be seen nodding in agreement to her statements on the video clip shared online.
Treanor said Batson will remain on administrative leave pending an investigation by Georgetown’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action. “Until the completion of the investigation, Professor Batson will have no further involvement with the course in which the incident arose.”
The school will take measures “to ensure that all students in this class are fairly graded without the input” of Sellers or Batson, a…
