On Thursday, June 4th, hundreds of UCLA students signed and circulated a letter articulating a complaint about a UCLA Professor’s inappropriate, apathetic and harmful anti-Black rhetoric when discussing student pleas for adjustments to her final. Amongst multiple offensive statements, there was a hypothetical and exploitative comment made about George Floyd, which stated that “if he were here, he would say you gotta take the test,” instead of getting “tangled up in all that’s going on.” This letter (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1exbpdZg_DZ4N7ZWtxMhkGQEr39C7I6Hghme68-kgeBQ/edit?ts=5ed997c6 was addressed to UCLA administration regarding the course “Political Science 145C: Public Law and Judicial Process: Constitutional Law--Civil Liberties” taught by Cynthia Lebow, a lecturer within the Political Science Department.

On Monday, June 9th, Michael Chwe, the chair of UCLA’s Political Science Department, responded, informing the students that he had discussed their concerns and desire for an apology with Professor Lebow on Friday morning, prior to their final class. Despite his discussion with Cynthia Lebow, she failed to apologize or even acknowledge her anti-Black comments in class on Friday afternoon. 

As a white woman teaching a course about “civil rights and civil liberties,” it is paramount that she is willing and able to admit to her wrongdoings, acknowledge her privilege, and listen and learn from Black students. Cynthia Lebow’s refusal to do the bare minimum and apologize for her rhetoric; however, demonstrates that she is ill-suited to influence and teach students at UCLA. Not only has she used her platform to invalidate and dismiss the concerns of Black students, but she remains convinced that she has perpetrated no wrongdoings. That is unjustifiable and it suggests that she will most likely repeat this harmful behavior in the future. 

If you feel that Cynthia Lebow has no place teaching at UCLA as a result of her harmful comments and lack of apology for them, please sign this petition to urge the UCLA Political Science Department to terminate their professional relationship with Professor Lebow.