Suspended for wrongspeak

[George K]

https://campusreform.org/article?id=16341

After a University of Cincinnati professor used the term “Chinese virus” in an email, he was put on leave for the semester.
In September, John Ucker labeled COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” in an email to an individual student, who was required to quarantine for two weeks after his girlfriend tested positive for the virus, although his test returned negative.
The student, Evan Sotzing, posted a screenshot of Ucker’s email on Twitter. As of the time of this writing, the tweet had gained more than 164,000 likes and more than 37,000 retweets.
As Campus Reform previously reported, the University of Cincinnati Dean of Engineering and Applied Science John Weidner stated that the school was “looking into” the matter, turning over the investigation to the school’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Access.
The university placed Ucker on leave in response to the investigation, The News-Record student newspaper reported.
“The results of the investigation indicate a violation of our Non-Discrimination Policy based on a medical condition and failure to provide an accommodation,” said dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science John Weidner said in a statement.
Weidner further stated that “the term ‘Chinese virus’ did not meet the threshold to be designated harassment. However, it did represent poor judgment,” though it “caused offense to members of our community and distracted from the learning environment.”
Weidner stated that he would be placing “Professor Ucker on administrative leave for the duration of the semester” as he contemplates his “future with the college.”

[Doctor Phibes]

I don't agree with him being suspended, but really, calling it 'The Chinese Virus' in a professional environment?

I sure as hell wouldn't do it, but then again, I'm not smart enough to work in academia.

[George K]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

in a professional environment

I dunno if this qualifies as a "professional environment."

an email to an individual student

But, you have to be careful what you say to anyone, lest they take your job, or as in Norway, lock you up.

[Mik]

It's a truly horrible trend. Something like this should merit nothing more than being asked to use a less controversial term in the future. If that.

[Klaus]

@George-K said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

or as in Norway, lock you up.

?

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

in a professional environment

I dunno if this qualifies as a "professional environment."

If he's sending the email as part of his job using the university email address, then of course it's a professional environment.

I realise he's a Mechanical Engineer, so even basic social skills aren't exactly to be expected, but still, you'd think he'd have a clue. How would this go down if he'd sent it to a Chinese student?

[George K]

Here's how Reuters reported the new Norwegian law:

https://www.reuters.com/article/norway-lgbt-lawmaking-idUSKBN2852DL

Norway’s parliament outlawed hate speech against transgender people on Tuesday, expanding its penal code which has protected gay and lesbian people since 1981.

People found guilty of hate speech face a fine or up to a year in jail for private remarks, and a maximum of three years in jail for public comments, according to the penal code.

“I’m very relieved actually, because (the lack of legal protection) has been an eyesore for trans people for many, many years,” said Birna Rorslett, vice president of the Association of Transgender People in Norway.

Norway is one of the most liberal countries in Europe for LGBT+ people, allowing trans people to legally change gender without a medical diagnosis in 2016. But reported homophobic crimes have risen, according to advocacy group, ILGA-Europe.

Turley takes a deeper dive, and points out something that Reuters (and other outlets) didn't report:

https://jonathanturley.org/2020/11/29/norway-criminalizes-hate-people-against-transgender-people-in-private-homes-or-conversations/

We have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in Europe. The move to criminalize speech has led to an insatiable appetite for new limitations and broader prosecutions. Norway is an example of this headlong plunge into speech controls and crimes in the West. This week the legislature adopted (without even a vote) a new criminal law that punishes people for saying anything deemed hate speech toward transgender people in their own home or private conversations.

Minister of Justice and Public Security Monica Maeland declared victory because speech regulation must be “adapted to the practical situations that arise.” The “practical situation” includes speaking to your own spouse or family.

As we recently discussed, a poll in Germany found only 18 percent of Germans feel free to express their views in public. Notably, over 31 percent of Germans did not even feel free expressing themselves in private among friends. Just 17 percent felt free to express themselves on the Internet and 35 percent said that freedom to speak is confined to the smallest of private circles.

[Copper]

Some more proper responses from the university

1. So what?
2. Tough
3. Who cares?
4. Huh
5. Grow up

[George K]

https://www.campusreform.org/article?id=16417

[Kincaid]

Remember when Trump said something about people from Sweden or Norway as a the kind of immigrant he wanted to see come here?

Well, looks like we will be getting the bests of Scandinavia's free thinkers over the coming years.

[Doctor Phibes]

@Kincaid said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

Remember when Trump said something about people from Sweden or Norway as a the kind of immigrant he wanted to see come here?

Well, looks like we will be getting the bests of Scandinavia's free thinkers over the coming years.

Either that or a ton of people who like using the 'N' word.

[Loki]

Why did the professor call the virus the Chinese Virus?

I’d like to see his answer.

[Jolly]

Maybe, because it is a Chinese virus?

[LuFins Dad]

Same general reason the 1918 epidemic is called The Spanish Flu?

[Loki]

I don’t think Chinese Virus was ever anything beyond a rhetorical term in every day use unless anyone can show otherwise.

[jon-nyc]

I do think it was called the Wuhan Virus early early on.

[George K]

@jon-nyc said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

I do think it was called the Wuhan Virus early early on.

Yes. I believe it was @AndyD who called it the WuFlu also.

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

Maybe, because it is a Chinese virus?

"Chinese virus" does have a connotation that's separate from the literal meaning of the words.

With everything we say, there are three levels of communication:

1. What we say
2. Underlying that is what we mean by what we say
3. Underlying that, is what we want to have happen by saying what we said

You can't just say you're allowed to let the chips fall where they may and willfully ignore #2 and #3 when it's how you and everyone else in the world knowingly communicates.

So yeah, "Chinese virus" in the context of sars-cov-2 has other connotations outside of just where the virus originated.

That being said, it's insane and disturbing that that guy was suspended.

[Doctor Phibes]

@LuFins-Dad said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

Same general reason the 1918 epidemic is called The Spanish Flu?

Actually, not at all. The Spanish flu was so-called because it was one of the few countries that didn't censor reporting it in the press. It almost certainly didn't originate in Spain.

https://www.history.com/news/why-was-it-called-the-spanish-flu

[Loki]

@Aqua-Letifer said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

@Jolly said in Suspended for wrongspeak:

Maybe, because it is a Chinese virus?

"Chinese virus" does have a connotation that's separate from the literal meaning of the words.

With everything we say, there are three levels of communication:

1. What we say
2. Underlying that is what we mean by what we say
3. Underlying that, is what we want to have happen by saying what we said

You can't just say you're allowed to let the chips fall where they may and willfully ignore #2 and #3 when it's how you and everyone else in the world knowingly communicates.

So yeah, "Chinese virus" in the context of sars-cov-2 has other connotations outside of just where the virus originated.

That being said, it's insane and disturbing that that guy was suspended.

But why ? Doesn’t it fall under the category of creating a hostile environment? I think the argument can easily be made.