A Yale University dean is on leave after numerous students complained after discovering her scathing Yelp reviews, filled with racist slurs and classism.
Yale Daily News reports that Yale University’s Pierson College dean, June Chu, issued a public apology over the weekend after her negative Yelp reviews came to light. The public apology came after the head of Pierson College, Stephen Davis, publicly announced that he placed her on leave.
“No one, especially those in trusted positions of educating young people, should denigrate or stereotype others, and that extends to any form of discrimination based on class, race, religion, age, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
Using her own name, Chu blasted local establishments, its patrons, and its employees on her Yelp account. For instance, after visiting Koto Japanese restaurant in Groton, Chu criticized the establishment and called it a great night for “white trash” and “low class folks.”
Further, Chu expressed her disdain for both the employees and patrons at Entertainment Cinemas, referring to the patrons as “obese” and the employees as “barely educated morons.”
Other negative reviews included calling fitness center employees rude and arrogant, and writing that she couldn’t care less if they lost their jobs.
“‘Seriously I don’t care if you would ‘lose your job’ (I am sure McDonald’s would hire you)..”
During her public apology, Chu wrote that she learned a “powerful lesson” on what words can do to damage others. She admitted that her Yelp remarks were wrong.
“I have learned a lot this semester about the power of words and about the accountability that we owe one another. My remarks were wrong…..Not only were they insensitive in matters related to class and race; they demean the values to which I hold myself and which I offer as a member of this community.”
Chu has since deleted her Yelp account. Ironically, Chu was considered an outspoken spokesperson on cultural sensitivity at the school.
[Feature Photo: Handout]