A series of events at the College at Brockport, including the abrupt dismissal of its chief diversity officer, the resignation of another diversity official and an EEOC discrimination complaint filed by an administrative staff member have sparked weeks of racial turmoil on the SUNY campus in upstate New York.
Protests and complaints from students, faculty and staff have elicited support from the mayor of Rochester and other elected officials, as well as intervention from SUNY chancellor, Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, who called the racial climate on the Brockport campus “not acceptable.”
The former diversity chief, Dr. Cephas Archie, was fired and escorted from his office on Jan. 24. He subsequently issued a statement to local media, which said, in part: “We must remain committed to challenging systems, structures, decisions and processes that exclusively represent and benefit some, choosing to retire our silence in such matters which impact us all. As a community, region, state and nation we must change — NO
The college has declined to discuss reasons for Archie’s termination citing personnel privacy laws. However, Archie’s statement suggested that he had joined in efforts to bring about change on the campus. “On many occasions during my tenure we stood united as a community — refusing to continue the repeated mistakes of our past,” his departure statement said. He directed all inquiries to his attorneys.
Archie’s supporters have included a multiracial coalition of students who staged a peaceful sit-in and march on Feb. 13 carrying signs stating, “I Stand With Dr. Archie.” The organizers said they were protesting “in order to raise awareness on racial issues brought to light after the separation of Dr. Archie. The environment at Brockport has revealed itself to be oppressive, in that it lacks diversity among students and faculty, and continues to fail provide equitable opportunities to its minority communities on campus.”
Alumni, members of the faculty and staff, a county legislator and Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren also weighed in. A day after Archie was fired, Warren praised Archie’s work in a Facebook post.
“It’s my understanding that Dr. Archie was fighting against institutional and structural bias and for that he has been dismissed,” the mayor said in the post. “It’s unfortunate when the people that work toward diversity and inclusion across the collegiate spectrum also face it themselves.”
