CW: This article references racist statements. Please refer to the end of the article for on- and off-campus resources.

Students are calling on the Georgetown University Law Center (GULC) to address racism on its campus after a professor referred to a student using an anti-Asian slur. 

Professor Franz Werro used the slur in his class on Feb. 10. In response, the GULC Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and the Georgetown China Law Society (GCLS) co-wrote a letter, which has been signed by over 500 students, addressed to Dean William Treanor, which they subsequently circulated across the GULC community. The letter included a list of action items for university administrators to address Werro’s racist language and protect students. 

In the Feb. 16 letter, APALSA and GCLS condemned Werro’s language and urged the university to allow AAPI students who are uncomfortable remaining in the class to switch into alternative courses. 

“The use of a slur in class erodes the trust students can have in their instructor. When that slur is directed at one student, it is deeply alarming and degrading to all students in the class,” the letter reads. “Students should have the choice not to have to learn from someone who makes them feel lesser.”

The letter also calls on the administration to discipline staff and faculty after reported incidents, create an anonymous complaint channel and hold mandatory implicit bias training at the school.

GULC has been administering implicit bias training for faculty and plans to schedule future discussions on bias with students, according to Treanor. 

Werro’s comments were deeply offensive to the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community, according to Somang Lee (LAW ’24), who signed onto the letter. 

“It hurt not just one student who was on the receiving end of that slur at that time, but also the entire community of API people on campus,” Lee said in an interview with The Hoya.

In a letter to the GULC community, Werro apologized and said he understood the harm his words caused.

“In class on Thursday, I addressed a student using a term that I now understand is a racial slur that has long been used to degrade and diminish Chinese people in particular and people of Asian descent generally,” Werro wrote. “I recognize that my use of that word caused real hurt and pain for many people in the Georgetown community and beyond. I am deeply sorry.” 

Werro, a native French speaker, told The Hoya that he was not aware of the historical context of the English term he had used.

“I used what I thought was the English translation of a term I would have used in French — my mother tongue — and which has no pejorative meaning in that language, such as Frenchman or Englishman,” Werro wrote in a statement to The Hoya. 

Werro also told The Hoya he plans to learn about the history of racism in the United States to create a more supportive learning environment for his students in the future.  

The United States has a long history of anti-Asian racism, stemming from bigotry towards Asian American immigrants who traveled to the United States in the 19th century. Europe also has a history of racism against those of Asian descent, including a jump in hate crimes against those of Asian descent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incident is the newest addition in a pattern of racist incidents involving GULC faculty and staff. Last month, GULC placed incoming administrator Ilya Shapiro on administrative leave following his racist and sexist tweets about President Joe Biden’s commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court. 

In March 2021, GULC fired Sandra Sellers after she complained about the academic performance of Black students to fellow professor David Batson. The racist remarks were caught on video, and Batson resigned following Sellers’ termination. 

GULC is committed to ensuring an inclusive learning environment for all students, according to GULC Dean William Treanor. 

“Last night I was made aware of an incident yesterday involving a professor using a derogatory term in the classroom that is demeaning and hurtful. This term is a slur with a centuries-long history of harm to Asian people,” Treanor wrote in the email. “As a community of students, staff, and faculty we must take a look at our culture, structure, systems, and processes to ensure that we are a community that fosters respect, equity, and justice.” 

In their letter, APALSA criticized Treanor’s Feb. 11 message for not specifying that the slur was used to address a student and did not include Werro’s name. 

While APALSA wrote that they appreciated Werro’s apology, the group found it insufficient, especially his commitment to learn more about the history of discrimination and bias against Asian Americans.  

“Anti-Asian racism is prevalent globally, including across Europe, and even if Professor Werro was unaware of the world’s history, it is inappropriate for a professor to address a student by their perceived race,” the letter reads. 

GULC is taking steps to create a more inclusive and welcoming campus environment, Treanor told The Hoya.

“The work of creating a truly diverse and inclusive community is an ongoing effort and one to which I am deeply committed,” Treanor wrote. “We are taking a number of important steps to fulfill our goal of building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus environment.” 

Lee hopes GULC administrators will reflect on this incident and finally begin to address systemic issues at the school.

“I hope for the administration to really be listening to the voices of the student affinity groups and acknowledge this as a very long front issue and be willing to continue conversations,” Lee said. “Not just about this incident, but for the years to come.”

Resources: On-campus resources include Health Education Services (202-687-8949), Counseling and Psychiatric Services (202-687-6985) and the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access (202-687-4054); additional off-campus resources include Crisis Text Line (text 741741) and the District of Columbia ACLU (202-457-0800).