White Student Files Lawsuit Against Historically Black College Over Racial Discrimination
Jose Nino
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A white student who was previously enrolled at Howard University’s law school filed a lawsuit in late February against the institution for its alleged use of racial discrimination. In the lawsuit, Michael Newman, the plaintiff, argued that the university created a “hostile education environment.”
Newman started law school in the fall semester of 2020 and was enrolled there until he was expelled in September 2022. He is pursuing $2 million in monetary damages for “pain, suffering, emotional anguish and damage to his reputation.”
Newman claims to have suffered “depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts” due to “public ostracism, vilification and humiliation.” The lawsuit claims that Global Head of Diversity Recruiting Reggie McGahee said that Newman had become the most hated student McGahee had seen during his time at the university.
Although Newman voiced his concerns about his treatment to school administration, Howard Law School’s dean allegedly rejected the notion that white students at Howard Law, and Newman specifically, were racially discriminated against in any way.
After discussions concerning Newman’s alleged racial insensitivity, students discovered a tweet from Newman’s private Twitter account that featured a picture of a slave with a badly scarred back that had the caption: “But we don’t know what he did before the picture was taken,” per the lawsuit.
Newman argued that the tweet was making fun of commentators who “attempt to explain away videos of police brutality by claiming the victim must have committed wrongdoing before the video started.” He claims that students responded in a nasty manner with references to Newman’s race, gender, sexual preference, age, and personal appearance.
All of this trouble kicked off when the university transitioned to remote learning during the beginning of the Wuhan virus. At that time, students were communicating via online forums and GroupMe cats, Newman asserted in court papers.
After an event featuring a black speaker as the 2020 election was quickly approaching, Newman said he published a post on a professor’s forum page asking if there could be further discussions on “whether: (1) Black voters didn’t question turning to government for solutions, and (2) reliably voting for the same party every election disincentivized both parties from responding to the needs of the black communities.”
Several students responded negatively to Newman’s post and contacted school administrators, which led to Newman being kicked out from one of his group chats for the class, per the allegations.
Newman also detailed how he felt “utterly disenfranchised” at the school and likened his situation to that of a black student at a primarily white university. Students largely responded in a negative manner, describing his comment “offensive,” he asserted.
Newman stressed that he apologized multiple times for offending students. Newman argued that he was looking to “learn, not just law, but to learn the thoughts and experiences of people of color,” per the lawsuit.
Newman allegedly faced more hostile reactions from Howard students, with many students starting to call him “mayo king” and “white panther.” Some students even claimed that “controversies” connected to Newman had brought about “severe stress” and “distracted them from their studies.
Newman tried to correct the situation by sending a four-part letter to clarify his views. However, students described his effort as a “manifesto.” One student blamed him for “manipulating [classmates’] emotions … as a social experiment,” the lawsuit argued. The letters allegedly lead to Newman getting kicked out from a second class-wide group chat.
School of Law Dean Danielle Holley subsequently recorded a Zoom meeting in secret with Newman and McGahee present, during which she recommended that Newman transfer to another university. She accused him of racially harassing classmates, per allegations.
At a digital town hall — featuring 300 participants — where Newman’s situation was discussed, Holley allegedly described Newman’s letters as “disturbing in every sense of the word,” per the suit. She allegedly prevented Newman from using several functions to speak up to defend himself, going as far as to disable the chat function and shutting off his camera.
Holley and Newman filed concurrent complaints, with Holley blaming Newman of “continual harassment of member [sic] of the Howard Law community, and disturbance of the learning environment at the School of Law.” For his part, Newman claimed Holley had routinely issued “threats,” engaged in “discrimination” and fostered a “hostile academic environment.”
In a panel that looked over Holley’s complaint, the school ruled that Newman was “responsible” for the controversies and called for his expulsion. According to the law, Newman claims that his complaint was never adjudicated.
Newman appealed the ruling. However, a second review panel allegedly issued a similar ruling despite the revelation that Holley had provided the first panel with evidence that Newman was never able to review, which he believed constituted “secret evidence.”
Newman’s legal counsel filed the suit in federal court.
Newman’s legal counsel will try to demonstrate the school violated its contract with Newman, a student who was attending on a scholarship, after several incidents and accusations that led to multiple review panels and hearings that culminated in his expulsion, per the lawsuit.
Institutions of higher learning, whether they run by blacks or whites, will be irrationally hostile to white male students. That is why nationalists must be ready to lay the smack down on these institutions and set things straight.
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