Why Law Professor Who Used N-Word Twice Was Reinstated
Paul Zwier, a law professor at Emory University in Atlanta, has been reinstated from his 2018 suspension after using the n-word twice in front of students.
In 2018, Zwier used the n-word while discussing a 1967 legal case and then again when students objected to his use of it during class. He faced more than a year of suspension from his job.
But in early March, the university released a statement that Zwier would be returning to his teaching duties, ensuring that he retained his tenure with the school. This step reportedly follows the recommendation of a faculty committee that reviewed his case.
Mary Bobinski, dean of law at Emory, said in the statement that the n-word “carries with it the potential for harm, including the disruption or destruction of an inclusive learning environment for students, whatever the motivation of the speaker.”
She also made a point to mention that no words are banned at the university but certain words must be uttered only for a “clear pedagogical reason.”
Zwier will be returning to Emory’s campus before the end of the semester and will resume teaching classes before fall 2021.
