Duke professor steps down after asking students to not speak Chinese
DURHAM, NC (WNCN) — The dean of the Duke University School of Medicine Mary Klotman, MD issued an apology to Chinese-speaking students after an email from a professor on Friday urged them to not speak Chinese on campus.
In emails sent to Biostatistics graduate students, Assistant Professor Megan Neely urged students to speak English after she said two colleagues approached her to name students they heard speaking Chinese in a break room area. In the email, she said the colleagues wanted the names of the students in case they ever applied for an internship or were interviewed by them.
In a statement released by Dr. Klotman, she apologized for the incident and stated there is no restriction or limitation on the language students use with each other. Also in the statement, Klotman said she has requested that a thorough review of the Master’s of Biostatistics Program be conducted.
Students began circulating a petition online calling for Neely’s emails to be investigated.
Dr. Neely asked to step down as director of graduate studies for the master’s program effective immediately. She will be replaced by an interim Director of Graduate Studies.
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