From Newsgroup: nyc.politics

A New York City university professor has sparked widespread fury after she
was caught on a hot mic making a crass comment about black students u
which education officials branded oblatantly racist.o

Allyson Friedman, an associate professor at Hunter College, sparked controversy when she inadvertently interrupted a black eighth-grade
studentAs concerns about the potential shutdown of her school during a Community Education Council meeting on Feb. 10.

oTheyAre too dumb to know theyAre in a bad school,o Friedman reportedly
said while her mic was live, according to the New York Times.

oIf you train a black person well enough, theyAll know to use the back,o
she said. oYou donAt have to tell them anymore.o

She seemed to be referring to a comment made by Reginald Higgins, the
school districtAs interim acting superintendent, who spoke about Carter G. Woodson u the father of black history.

oIf you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told,o Woodson wrote
in his 1933 book oThe Mis-education of the Negro.o

A university spokesperson described FriedmanAs comments as oabhorrent,o according to the Daily Mail.

Education officials were left profoundly disturbed and students on the
Zoom call were left stunned by FriedmanAs comments.

oI am deeply disturbed by the blatantly racist and harmful remarks made
during the CEC3 [Community Education Council for School District 3]
meetinga,o said Rita Joseph, the city council education chair.

Brad Hoylman Sigal, the Manhattan borough president, described FriedmanAs remarks as ooutrageous.o

oIt is particularly despicable that these vile words were uttered while children were giving testimony at the meeting, exposing them to this
hatred,o he added.

Friedman apologized for her comments as she tried to clarify her remarks,
as reported by the Times.

oMy complete comments make clear these abhorrent views are not my own, nor were they directed at any student or group,o she said.

oI fully support these courageous students in their efforts to stop school closures.

oHowever, I recognize these comments caused harm and pain, while that was
not my intent I do truly apologize.o

Black students make up around 20% of the total number of students enrolled
in schools across New York City.

In recent weeks, officials have been mulling plans to shut down schools in Manhattan District 3, as reported by Chalkbeat.

More than 17,000 undergraduates and 5,500 graduates are enrolled at Hunter College.

Black or African American students make up around 11.5 percent of the universityAs undergraduate enrolment.

https://nypost.com/2026/02/23/us-news/hunter-college-prof-allyson- friedman-sparks-fury-as-shes-caught-on-hot-mic-making-blatantly-racist- comment/

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