IUPUI apologizes to janitor

July 14, 2008
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How did we get to the point where someone can be accused of racial harassment for reading a scholarly book about the Ku Klux Klan â?? a book in which the good guys, Notre Dame students, whip the bad guys, the Klan?

Thatâ??s what happened at IUPUI in a flare-up that both the university and the accused say came to a close late last week.

Janitor Keith John Sampson was told by IUPUI last year that he had insulted black co-workers and all but carried pornography to work by reading â??Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klanâ?? during a break â?? a book, coincidentally, carried in the university library.

After civil rights groups, including the ACLU, pressured IUPUI, the university began to backpedal and finally â?? after being shamed by a Wall Street Journal columnist earlier last week â?? sent a letter of apology to Sampson.

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  • I think he should sue IUPUI and the insulted co-workers for the emotional distress of having to work with such idiots.
  • Typical ivory tower attitude. All for free speach unless it's not the speech they like.
  • I didn't know about this. How crazy? I've read that book and there is absolutely nothing in it that would/should cause offense with anyone. It sounds like the person(s) who logged this complaint with the University had a personal agenda that they were taking out against this person. If it wasn't that, then it must have been a bitter person who was just looking to try and stir trouble somewhere.

    Shows how sad today's society is. Pretty bad when you have to tread lightly when reading a non-fictional, history book. Seems like people are making up reasons to be offended today as they want the attention and want the world to revolve around them and to feel sorry for them. I think that just waking up in the morning must hurt the feelings of the person who brought up this complaint!! The world is so against me! How will I ever survive! Boo-who for you! Get over it and focus on things that actually matter and quit worrying about who's going to hurt your feelings today.
  • Jason, of course you know the person(s) that complained didn't bopther to actually read the book. It was enough to see the cover which had white-hooded guys (or maybe a burning cross?) with the ND golden dome in the background. Obviously, if someone put up a poster of burning crosses or nooses or whatever, that woudl be wrong and insulting, if not illegal. And it's understadnable that the people that saw the cover might be offended initially, but to hell with asking the janitor what he's reading or saying, Hey, that's offensive to me! and then letting him defend the book.

    Furthrmore, and this is bigger problem, is that the University did what it did even after learning the facts!
  • Indy Guy,

    I couldn't agree more, and it's made me ashamed of Indiana University. Though it obviously won't make a difference to the institution, I decided against renewing my Alumni Association membership and, for the first year since they've been offered, I didn't get Indiana University license plates (with the requisite donation to the IUAA).

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  1. So the Mayor adds another non value added layer to having a vehicle towed? Whereby the City Government RECIEVES AN ILLEGAL KICKBACK FROM A LGOISTICS COMPANY THAT SUBS THE WORK TO LOCAL TOW COMPANIES? What is the service the City performs for receiving the "tribute"? This is RICO!!!!! What a corrupt and unnecessary layer. What a dirtbag Mayor and his cronies.

  2. Owner occupied housing. Clear enough?

  3. So people think I am paranoid. It's from experience in dealing with puds requested by developers who make major donations themselves to representatives, have nice fund raisers for those running for office and hide through pac's. then there are the public relation firms. You will note some pr comments below. You there Clyde Lee? My opinion. Commercial along 421, great. Multifamily housing, terrible idea that will change the town. Senior condos or zero lot line homes west, great. I suggest keeping all entries to commercial areas at 421. All entries to owner occupied on sycamore. Will keep the traffic on sycamore down some. Two other things. You can't trust what will be there in 10 years. Steve builds quality stuff, but areas change over time. Look at the changes at the wall mart center at 86th and 421 over the last 10 years. Look at the apartments and neighborhoods behind St Vincent's. Raintree properties WILL decrease in value if commercial and multifamily goes in near. It has already been happening around the bridges area. The houses that have been sold recently are way below market. Several deals not closed due to the Illinois construction and the whole unsurety of the bridges. It's pretty simple, Zionsville will approve the whole thing because the city council has been groomed over a LONG period of time for this. I might even suggest some are in their position as a result of this.

  4. Esta, do you have a dog in this fight? You seem to really want to knock anyone against this project. No, I didn't move to Indiana for the architecture. I moved here for that red barn in the field. The horses and fields of corn. A place that is NOT overdeveloped. There are plenty of nearby places in Indianapolis that could be REDEVELOPED instead.

  5. RKW - OK, we get it, you're paranoid. The question is, are you paranoid enough? Greg - Yes, Pittman(s) is (are) at it again. They are developers, they build things. It's what they do. So when you go to work tomorrow, Greg, you're at it again too. Cliff - Really? You moved to Indiana for its progressive architecture? That's like moving to England for the cuisine. Zionsvillain - The house you moved to was once a field or woods. I'm willing to bet folks were upset when that ground was plowed under and a house was built. But I guess now that you are in, everything should stop? "My house was OK, but the next one is sprawl." SE Guy - Please don't paint us with such a wide brush. Most reasonable Zionsville residents welcome planned, measured development.

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