N-Word Gets SBCC Staffer Placed on Leave
Students Contend Racial Tension Common on Campus
Students, staff, and faculty at Santa Barbara City College are calling for the immediate resignation of Vice President of Business Services Lyndsay Maas after they learned she used the unabbreviated n-word at a gender equity meeting on November 14. The college’s Board of Trustees held a special meeting Monday, where public speakers voiced their outrage. Many insisted this was not an isolated incident but rather a product of the campus climate toward black students and a continued pattern of racial insensitivity.
Maas used the word in reference to African-American students being called the n-word on campus. Maas was stopped by a faculty member of color “to address the harm caused by the racial slur,” wrote staff who were present at the workgroup meeting in a letter to the board. “Maas tried to explain herself, but she did not take the opportunity to listen to the experience of others,” read the letter.
In a statement, Maas said, “Last week during a campus meeting discussing how to combat racism on campus, I inadvertently used a term that has since been taken out of context, offending some people as a result. I deeply regret that offense, and remain committed to help battle on-campus racism at SBCC.”
