(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A former diversity, equity and inclusion officer at DeAnza College claims they fired her for disagreeing with particular anti-racist views that the college holds.
Dr. Tabita Lee, a black woman, experienced accusations of “whitesplaining,” “promoting white supremacy” and “being a right-wing extremist” in her first week on the job.
DeAnza eventually was denied her tenure and fired, purportedly for asking her activist coworkers to further explain their ideology.
“I noticed that there was a lot of resistance to my even asking questions about anti-racism policy efforts and language,” Lee said in an interview with the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism. “I purely wanted to know what folks meant when they were using those terms, and I encountered a lot of hostility.”
According to the Daily Caller, Lee also felt expected to believe certain things because she is black.
“They said they wanted a black person to do this job,” Lee said. “Apparently, I am the wrong kind of black.”
On Monday, @deanza_college voted out Dr. Tabia Lee, who was serving her dream job as Faculty Director for the Office of Equity, Social Justice, & Multicultural Education. Lee says, "they said they wanted a black person to do this job. Apparently, I am the wrong kind of black." pic.twitter.com/98SzeLWh9M
— Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR) (@fairforall_org) March 9, 2023
She also admitted to her coworkers that she did not identify herself as “woke,” and faced backlash because of it.
Lee also clashed with DeAnza’s women, gender and sexuality center over the comfort of white faculty members who worked in the space. Lee argued for more concessions for white people to feel comfortable in the space, because the campus is public. Those working at the center refused, arguing that they were “de-centering whiteness.”
The DEI warden’s final claim against the school is that she was fired for refusing to do things “in the mold of Ibram X. Kendi,” and refused to be openly hostile to white people.
Lee warned that diversity programs across the nation are becoming increasingly unfriendly to outside viewpoints.
“I’ve never encountered individuals like this that have been so hostile through and through,” Lee said. “If people knew these offices were being used to promote a singular ideology they would demand they would be shut down.”
