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Today’s blacklisted American: Professor fired for mistakenly confusing the names of two black students

Fordham: A Jesuit University where racism rules
Fordham: A Jesuit University where racism rules.

The new dark age of silencing: An English professor at Fordham University in New York, Christopher Trogan, was fired shortly after he made the unforgivable sin of accidently mixing up the names of two black students.

The name mix-up occurred on Sept. 24 in a Composition II class taught by Trogan. The two students whose names were mixed up sent Trogan an email after class expressing that they felt disheartened and disrespected, and believed the mistake occurred because they were both Black.

Later that day, Trogan sent an email addressing the situation to all of his students in both sections of his Composition II course. He referred to the name mix-up as an “innocent mistake” and said he had a “confused brain” because the two students arrived late while he was reading the work of another student at the lecturer podium. “The offended student assumed my mistake was because I confused that student with another Black student,” Trogan said in his email to students. “I have done my best to validate and reassure the offended student that I made a simple, human, error. It has nothing to do with race.”

One of the first-year students who was involved in the name mix-up incident said their experience in Trogan’s class prior to the incident was not great. The student, who asked to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns, told The Observer that Trogan repeatedly got their name incorrect over the course of four classes.

Trogan encouraged students to relay any complaints to Dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) Laura Auricchio, English Department Chair Mary Bly and other administrators.

Chantel Sims, FCLC ’25, was the other student involved in the name mix-up. Sims, who is also a member of The Observer’s reporting team, said she did not report Trogan to the administration so she felt like a lot of his action and communication seemed unnecessary. “It seemed a little excessive, like all you needed to do was say sorry and it would have been fine,” she said. “We were not actually that upset about him mixing up our names. It was more so the random things he would throw into the response.”

In other words, of the two students, the one complaining the most has refused to be identified. The other student, Chantel Sims, concluded that the whole issue was being overblown, by Trogan himself.

When Trogan was dismissed, the administration claimed it was not the mix-up in names that was the cause, but Trogan’s overreaction and long email to his entire class.

All of this is absurd, and the result of an academic culture that gets too quickly outraged and offended about the smallest items. I am not surprised Trogan overreacted, because based on recent history any complaint against any professor by any black student for any reason can lead instantly to termination and firing. The black students are always assumed to be right, the accused always must be guilty, usually of racism. Trogan probably was terrified of this, and tried to nip such attacks in the bud. Instead, it appears he only added to his offenses.

In the email to students, Trogan assured students the course was “centered specifically and explicitly around issues of justice, equality, and inclusion,” and that he has devoted his “entire life” to these issues — describing his dedication to racial justice throughout his career in depth.

Sims said the section of the email that listed his credentials and “everything he has done for minorities” gave her the impression of a white savior complex.

This is the academic culture today, driven by fear and race. Don’t dare do anything that might offend a black student in any way. If you do, don’t dare apologize while citing your commitment to equal rights and justice for minorities because then you are a “white savior” and pushing your “white privilege.”

Trogan was caught between a rock and a hard place. No matter what he did, I suspect he was doomed, and would have been blacklisted by the university. He is now out of a job, and it appears he has few legal options because he was a recent hire who could be terminated for practically any reason.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


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"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

15 comments

  • pzatchok

    I would have never mentioned their being clack.

    I would have kept it short and simple.
    “Sorry I mixed up your names and I hope to not do it again in the future.
    Please forgive me for my short comings.

    Sincerely…………”

  • pzatchok

    black not clack.

    dohhhh!!!!!!!!!!

  • Cotour

    Things are getting stupid and stupider.

    The teacher is so paranoid to offend someone he can not just say I made a mistake about your names, please forgive me.

    Nooooo, he has to tell everyone how fair and balanced he is and how he is not racist, blah, blah, blah.

    The Liberal, Leftist psyops in America is complete, everyone in these bastions of higher education is now paranoid and insane.

    These are no longer rational adults.

  • Col Beausabre

    It;s gonna be like “Brandon”, from now on it’s “clack” !

  • Cotour

    As an extension of the Lefts insane program to destroy all in order to rebuild America in the “Equity” model of the utopian Socialist dream world, have you noticed that most everyone who does this and other insane things like it:

    https://nypost.com/2021/12/03/this-is-the-knife-cops-say-was-used-to-kill-columbia-student-davide-giri/

    Just happens to be “Clack”.

    The “Equity” looting is also the same.

    And I am not racist, not at all, all I am doing is making an observation and sharing it. But no one in the media will do the same.

    Actions have consequences, and the color of ones skin should have little to nothing to do with those consequences for those actions taken.

    Most of these actors and those who empower them have lost their “Brandon” minds!

  • Mitch S.

    Does seem irrational,
    If you make a a harmless, unintentional error and defend yourself when you are accused of racism, you will get fired.
    If you make a a harmless, unintentional error and apologize when you are accused of racism, you will get fired.

    But by today’s CRT/White Privilege standards it’s quite logical and consistent. You see Trogan is white and those he offended (even if they don’t feel offended) were black.
    No matter how Trogan reacted it’s an exercise of “white privilege”..
    As Robin DiAngelo’s nonsensical screed er, I mean, “seminal tome” “White Fragility”, points out – The more a white person denies they are racist, the more it proves they are racist.

  • wayne

    One question–
    Do they celebrate Kwanzaa in Wakanda?

    “Do they Know it’s Christmas?”
    Band Aid 1984
    https://youtu.be/bjQzJAKxTrE
    4:37

  • Wayne asked: “Do they celebrate Kwanzaa in Wakanda?”

    Brilliant.

  • LTC SDS

    Just call everyone at the University “comrade”. It’s accurate and prevents those awful name problems. ?

  • wayne

    LTC SDS–
    Just give it a year and we’ll all be ‘Komrading’ each other.
    “What is past is prologue”

  • wayne

    “Shaft in Africa”
    Trailer #1 (1973)
    https://youtu.be/vJFzBbyYHpE
    2:56

    “He’s a bad mother-branden.”
    (Can ya’ dig it?!)

  • Wayne observed: “Just give it a year and we’ll all be ‘Komrading’ each other.”

    Over the past year I have received professional communications where the sender would indicate preferred pronouns in the signature line.

    Say what?

    Only Academics care about this stuff; and an example of the over-education of America. Nobody cares, zhe.

  • pawn

    I had two guys named Mohamed in a class and they always sat next to each other. I ended up flunking one of them because he never turned in any work. That was scary because I didn’t know which was which. I also had two Wangs at the same time but they were in different classes. Lots of fun to be had here!

  • BSinSC

    I have two brothers. Sometimes my Mom would call me the other before she got to my name. I shound have sued! This is insane and needs to stop!!

  • Edward

    Blair Ivey,
    I identify as a major deity. My pronouns are the actions of tithing and worship.

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