An Indiana University professor created a “hostile educational environment” for white students in his class through comments made over the course of a semester, according to a recent decision by Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty.
Marcus Croom, an assistant professor in the School of Education, was accused by a former student of making repeated negative comments about white people throughout one of his courses in the spring of 2024. The student, Michael Claycamp, alleged that Croom made remarks that “white teachers are white supremacists” and said he’d rather not associate with white people over the course of the class.
A discrimination complaint results in investigation
Claycamp filed a formal complaint against Croom with IU’s Office of Civil Rights Compliance shortly after the class concluded in the summer of 2024. That October, Croom was notified that the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) was opening an investigation into Claycamp’s allegations.
The investigation involved interviews with Croom, Claycamp, and several students from both sections of Croom’s class that semester. During and after the investigation, Croom was instructed to not have contact with Claycamp, in-person or otherwise.
Croom did not respond to a request from the Herald-Times for comment regarding the investigation.
Implications of discrimination finding not yet clear
In a Nov. 20 letter, Docherty notified Claycamp that the investigation had concluded, and that the university had found a “preponderance of evidence” that Croom had created a “hostile educational environment for White students,” a violation of the university’s discrimination policy.
Claycamp was told that Croom would receive a “Level One” sanction and will have to attend professional development training on “inclusive teaching practices” and “respectful engagement with students of all backgrounds. Level One sanctions do not impact an instructor’s job duties or salary but can result in “periodic review” and a letter in one’s personnel file.
Claycamp said he appealed the decision, seeking a harsher reprimand for Croom. That appeal was rejected by Provost Rahul Shrivastav on Dec. 19 and is not eligible for further reevaluation.
“In supporting this decision, I trust these measures will provide adequate motivation and oversight for Professor Croom in addressing the issues that emerged in this case,” Shrivastav said in his letter.
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on X/Twitter at @brianwritesnews.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Professor sanctioned for alleged discrimination against white students
Reporting by Brian Rosenzweig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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