Racial Slurs in Class: Verushka Lieutenant-Duval Case
Discussing Racial Slurs in Class: The Verushka Lieutenant-Duval Case
This note talks about the tough problems that come up when racial slurs are brought up in college classes. It uses the example of Verushka Lieutenant-Duval to explain two main, opposite ideas: the Eradicationist view and the Accommodationist view. Basically, one side wants to get rid of such words completely, and the other thinks there's a place for discussing them.
What Happened in the Case
Verushka Lieutenant-Duval, a white professor, used a racial slur (the N-word) during a linguistics class. She did this while discussing how some groups have 'taken back' slurs to use among themselves. Students complained, she was investigated, and suspended. This started a big discussion about what teachers can say in class (academic freedom), free speech, and how racial slurs make students feel, especially those from minority groups. You can find out more by watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygHQhK71w7s.
The Eradicationist Viewpoint
This idea, often held by people sometimes called Multicultural Liberals, believes that there should be strict rules against hate speech and other offensive words, especially in schools. They think certain words are always hurtful. Here are their main points and some criticisms:
Why Context Doesn't Matter to Them: This view says that if a white person says a slur, when and why they said it (the context) doesn't matter. Just saying the word is seen as wrong and harmful, even if a teacher is using it for a lesson or quoting something.
Rules Seem Inconsistent: Critics say these rules aren't always applied fairly. For example, in some situations like plays, movies, or court cases, white people are allowed to say racial slurs. This makes the rules seem confusing and not consistently applied to everyone.
They Don't Separate 'Saying' from 'Quoting': This view often treats 'using' a slur (to insult someone) the same as 'mentioning' it (to study it, talk about it in an academic way, or quote it from a book). They don't see the important difference between these two actions.
They Use Very Strong Words: When talking about offensive speech, they often use very powerful words like "harmful," "violent," "dehumanizing," "racist," or "white supremacist." While these words show real pain, they can also make discussions very emotional and hard to have an open conversation.
It's Unclear for Mixed-Race People: There aren't clear rules about how these ideas apply to people who are of mixed race or ethnicity. This can cause confusion about what is allowed or not allowed for them under eradicationist rules.
Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor, PhD, is a notable historian who supports parts of this view. She believes in clear ways to handle discussions about racial slurs in education, focusing on how hurtful these words can be and the importance of creating safe learning spaces for students of color.