The San Diego Union Tribune reports…
An Asian and Pacific Islander student group complained to the school after seeing the post by faculty member Thomas Smith
A law professor at the University of San Diego is under investigation after students complained about an offensive phrase he used in a blog post about China and the coronavirus.
The post was written by Thomas Smith, a professor at USD Law School since 1992, as part of his blog called The Right Coast, in which he typically offers personal commentary on news items.
The March 10 entry centers on a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that questions China’s cooperation in the World Health Organization’s investigation into claims that the coronavirus escaped from a virology lab. The claim has thus far been unsubstantiated.
“If you believe that the coronavirus did not escape from the lab in Wuhan, you have to at least consider that you are an idiot who is swallowing whole a lot of Chinese **** swaddle,” Smith wrote.
A student brought the post to the attention of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association at USD, and the group filed a formal complaint with the help of the Student Bar Association. The groups met with school officials Thursday.
“In law school we come here to be taught to be wordsmiths and to make educated arguments,” said Ashley Thompson, a second-year law student and board member of the Asian and Pacific Islander association. “He did the opposite. He stooped to use dangerous rhetoric. That is part of reason this so disturbing and hurtful.”
On Wednesday, the USD School of Law dean sent a letter to students calling the language offensive and noting the increase in hate crimes and racist commentary against the Asian and Pacific Islander community relating to the coronavirus and its origins.
“While the blog is not hosted by the University of San Diego, these forms of bias, wherever they occur, have an adverse impact on our community,” wrote Robert Schapiro, who took over as dean in January. “It is especially concerning when the disparaging language comes from a member of our community.”
