HILLSDALE, Mich. — The leader of a small Michigan college referred to the faces of minorities on his campus as “dark ones” during an appearance Wednesday before a legislative subcommittee in Lansing but later issued an apology.
Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn was speaking against the state’s adoption of Common Core standards in reading, writing and math when he described criticism he once received for not having enough “dark” students at the private school, the Detroit Free Press reported.
“The state of Michigan sent a group of people down to my campus, with clipboards … to look at the colors of people’s faces and write down what they saw,” Arnn explained. “We don’t keep records of that information. What were they looking for besides dark ones?”
Later Wednesday afternoon, Arnn issued an apology.
“No offense was intended by the use of that term except to the offending bureaucrats, and Dr. Arnn is sorry if such offense was honestly taken,” the college said in the statement.
Some Democrats told Arnn during the subcommittee meeting that they were offended by his comments.
“You’re the president of a college. I would expect better out of you,” said Rep. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights.
