UGA panel hears arguments after racially charged campus speech dispute
ATHENS — A University of Georgia graduate student defended himself Friday at a hearing against a complaint he violated its student code of conduct in a dispute that centered around race and the boundaries of freedom of expression rights.
The student, Irami Osei-Frimpong, and his supporters believe the complaint against him, that he purposefully omitted a 2011 trespassing arrest from his admissions application, is a veiled attempt to remove him from campus for racially charged statements he made at a meeting that were posted online in January.
Osei-Frimpong, an African American teaching assistant studying philosophy, made comments such as “some white people may have to die for black communities to be made whole in this struggle to advance to freedom.” His critics argued the comments advocated violence against whites and want him expelled. He denies any desire to incite violence and only wants to spark more conversation about racial inequities.
Osei-Frimpong waived his federal privacy rights and allowed public access to the hearing, which drew a packed audience that required the university to arrange for people to listen to the hearing via speakerphone in overflow areas.
Read more: https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/the-latest-uga-panel-hears-arguments-after-racially-charged-campus-speech-dispute/VeOMgMMFemHqg3DcjfdxEJ/