A Duke University professor who stepped down from her position as a director of the School of Medicine’s biostatistics program said Sunday she “deeply” regrets “the hurt” caused by her email telling foreign students to refrain from speaking their native language on campus.
Screenshots of the email sent by Megan Neely to first- and second-year graduate students made the rounds on social media Saturday and quickly drew flak from users, some of whom labeled it “racist.”
In her email, Neely, an assistant professor at the college, claimed she was approached by two unnamed faculty members who wanted to learn the names of students that were reportedly “speaking Chinese (in their words, VERY LOUDLY)” in the campus’s student lounge and study area. The faculty members, Neely stated, “wanted to write down the names so they could remember them if the students ever interviewed for an internship or asked to work with them for a master’s project.”
Neely’s email warned that speaking in languages other than English would have “unintended consequences” for international students seeking employment — a warning that she deemed “not appropriate” in an apology email sent to students Sunday.
“We very much value our international students and their contributions to our program,” reads the email, co-signed by Elizabeth Delong, chairwoman of the biostatistics and bioinformatics department. “Although it was not meant to be hurtful, it came out that way and was clearly in error.”
In a personal note within the same email, provided to the Washington Examiner, Neely wrote: “I deeply regret the hurt my email has caused. It was not my intention. Moving forward, it is my sincerest wish that every student in the Master of Biostatistics program is successful in all of their endeavors.”
The University’s Office of Institutional Equity has launched an investigation into the incident “to recommend ways in which we can improve the learning environment for students from all backgrounds,” according to an official response sent to students by Dean Mary Klotman.
