{"id":30337,"date":"2023-02-20T19:08:40","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T00:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=30337"},"modified":"2023-02-20T19:08:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T00:08:46","slug":"fau-provost-apologizes-for-comments-about-sex-with-animals-in-dei-discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2023\/02\/20\/fau-provost-apologizes-for-comments-about-sex-with-animals-in-dei-discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"FAU provost apologizes for comments about ‘sex with animals’ in DEI discussion<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In an email sent to Florida Atlantic University faculty the same day as her comments, interim Provost Michele Hawkins said her wording was “unfortunate and unthoughtful.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Florida Atlantic University treats everyone the same, regardless of whether they\u2019re \u201cpurple\u201d or if they have \u201csex with animals,\u201d a top university leader said before backtracking and apologizing at a recent public meeting.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FAU\u2019s interim provost, Michele Hawkins, made the bizarre comments during a Faculty Senate meeting in late January. She was trying to ease concerns that FAU may have accidentally targeted certain employees for their involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which are often referred to as \u201cDEI.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least two of Florida\u2019s top Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have criticized DEI and demanded that all state colleges and universities provide a list of people taking part in such programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the meeting, Professor Allan Barsky said everyone on campus takes part in diversity, equity and inclusion. When FAU provided the state with information that could identify specific people, some faculty members felt like they were \u201cthrown under the bus,” even if that wasn’t the intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the list, he said, included \u201csome of the most vulnerable people\u201d on campus, including part-time faculty, Black employees and LGBTQ+ staff, making them feel like targets of the state inquiry.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cWe did not do that,\u201d Hawkins responded. \u201cWe did not know what color, if they were purple, if they had sex with animals. I mean, we had no idea of what we were doing. We did not put anyone under the bus.\u201d     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cPlease don\u2019t equate being LGBT with having sex with animals,\u201d the professor said, before trying to move the discussion forward.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn fact,\u201d the provost interjected, \u201cI doubt that they do have sex with animals. I don’t know. Not many people do.\u201d    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As previously reported by Inside Higher Ed, a national publication for college and university news, the comments prompted several people in the audience to groan and cover their faces with their hands.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hawkins soon apologized during the meeting and again in an email to FAU faculty the same day.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen responding to an important question about supporting underrepresented groups, it was my intent to convey that I treat all people the same and believe all faculty deserve support,\u201d she said. \u201cWhile trying to convey my beliefs, I inadvertently used regrettable language that was inconsistent with those beliefs.      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you attended the meeting, you heard my passionate opening remarks and my stated commitment to inclusion,\u201d her email continued. \u201cI hope that my unfortunate and unthoughtful phrasing does not detract from my intended message.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same meeting, university leaders reviewed a statement by FAU faculty<\/a> who pushed back on the \u201cchilling escalation of political interference\u201d coming out of Tallahassee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barsky later forgave the provost and said she has long supported the goals of diversity, equity and inclusion.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s concerns where somebody misspeaks, we can deal with that and move on,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe that\u2019s part of why it\u2019s so important that we continue to have these DEI initiatives, to educate people about how to have kind and caring and forgiving conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The provost, a leader at FAU since at least 1998, did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As interim provost, Hawkins serves on the university\u2019s Executive Leadership Team<\/a>, which also includes FAU\u2019s interim president and its vice presidents.  Hawkins previously served as the director of FAU’s school for social work and more recently she worked as the university\u2019s vice provost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DEI programs are meant to ensure that everyone has the support they need to be successful and to feel included at their university, especially when they have different backgrounds or opinions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n