Louisville President James Ramsey issued an apology today as students rallied outside of his office in protest of the recent Halloween picture of him and his staff dressed in stereotypical Mexican costumes.
Here is an excerpt that explains his apology:
“I can’t speak for the Hispanics and Latinos, but this was really — I hate to say — ignorant,” said Benjamin P. Foster, an accounting professor at the university. “I don’t know how they could have not known that, particularly several higher-level administrators.”
Mr. Ramsey apologized for the incident and any pain it had caused students, faculty, and staff. At a Halloween party at a university-owned mansion on Wednesday, Mr. Ramsey and several other officials donned sombreros and mustaches and held maracas in a photograph. Mr. Ramsey also wore a multicolored poncho in the photograph.
“We did not intend to cause harm or to be insensitive,” he said in the emailed apology. “I hope this doesn’t detract from the hard work we — the entire U. of L. community — have done and continue to do in building an inclusive, supportive, welcoming campus for all our university family. I pledge to work to ensure that we move forward as one university.”
Students stood outside the president’s office on Friday afternoon and chanted “Racist Ramsey has to go!” Mr. Ramsey, however, was in North Carolina with the university’s football team, which was to play Wake Forest University that evening.
Read the entire article by clicking here.
Here is the list of demands the students were asking for:
Students list of demand to the university. @WHAS11 pic.twitter.com/vekJE8L4L5
— Ana Rivera (@WHAS11Ana) October 30, 2015
