Investigation launched after white lecturer says she is ‘sick’ of talking about BLM

A university lecturer is facing an investigation after reportedly saying she was “sick” of talking about the Black Lives Matter movement during a lecture.

Erica Cope, of Suny Buffalo State College, apparently told students on a writing course:“This is me…speaking honestly, and you guys have to respond honestly with what you think, what you feel about this.

“So, I am sick of talking about Black Lives Matter. Alright? I said it.”

Jahnay Morehead, a student who recorded the incident, told The Buffalo News that Cope’s comments were prefaced by her giving an ‘example’ of a controversial or unpopular opinion for which she might “get cancelled”. She said they were made in the Autumn.

Adam Steinbaugh, a lawyer at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, spoke to Newsweek on Cope’s behalf in defence of the incident, saying the comment had been taken out of context.

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They said they were “concerned by the trajectory” of the incident.

“The 15 seconds of an hour-long or so class is not enough to make a judgement call about not only her point but about whether or not this is protected speech.”

He said Cope was “speaking provocatively to try to get students to have a discussion about Black Lives Matter” and that “she’s supportive” of the movement.

But Morehead said the comments were “insensitive” and added that the majority of the students in the class were black.

And the college’s President, Kate Conway-Turnery condemned the comments and said they were “unacceptable”.

Posting on Twitter, she said:

The outcome of the investigation remains to be seen.