Comments on: Diversity-Management Fail: Racist Prank Escalates to Lawsuit at UCLA

By: Shasta Scott, MD

Shasta Scott, MD — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 17:58:11 +0000

What a very difficult situation for Dr Head to put in – tenure, pay and possibly his job on the line.

Why? Because someone didn’t want to “teach” the students right and wrong, and make it a lesson in cultural competence. This missed opportunity will be something that the medical studentsfuture hospitals will now be on the hook to try to teach. What a disconnect – what they were allowed to do in medical school is completely inappropriate for the workplace.

When you take the foul language, racial (actually all) stereotypes out of “roasts” and comedy, it does require you to actually be funny, and not rely upon these poorly veiled attempts at comedy.

I really don’t want one of these students operating or interacting with me or my loved ones.

By: Martin Davidson, PhD

Martin Davidson, PhD — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:03:07 +0000

Being outraged by this stupid behavior is understandable, but not particularly helpful. Nor will some of the recommendations in this article really change the root causes of this behavior over the long run. I agree that accountability from leadership is absolutely crucial to fighting this bias, but zero tolerance is not the way exercise accountability. Leaders have to take responsibility for being discerning about what behaviors merit the severest reprimands (censure or termination) and what behaviors can better be served by engaging the perpetrators and other stakeholders in learning opportunities. Zero tolerance can be a copout: it allows leaders to abdicate the responsibility for being thoughtful about how they deal with diversity in their organizations.

In addition, “mandatory training” recommendations should always be accompanied by the qualifier “good.” Mediocre diversity training can be more damaging than no training at all. It can heighten resistance to diversity and can stoke resentment toward the people who are different it was supposed to support. Resource groups are clearly helpful, but only if they are supported unequivocally by leadership. They must wholly be a part of the organization and must be both a resource for its members and a resource for the organization.

By: Phil Seeberg

Phil Seeberg — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:50:48 +0000

“It was UCLA administrators’ “lack of action” that hurt the most”

Often we hear that people say or do things out of ignorance. Sometimes an appology or swift punishment can wipe away a problem. I can understand how being told not to make a fuss can just pour fuel on the pain/offense.

We have stories in Chicago of kids not being allowed at graduation because of dress code offenses, and these people (at UCLA) don’t seem to have had anything done to them.

By: Mavis Dowdie

Mavis Dowdie — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:12:48 +0000

Karina, please, please let us not judge this fine doctor! He does not need advice!What he needs at this time is support to get this issue out and blow the covers of these people who still exist, unfortunately they are more than we would like to believe. For God’s sake we need to get rid of the ‘ blame the victim’ mentality. Have you listened to his remarks in the video?

By: WBYRD

WBYRD — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:41:27 +0000

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”…….and get louder!

By: Alfonso Lopez-Vasquez

Alfonso Lopez-Vasquez — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:45:09 +0000

“Seldom does a day go by that I am not reminded that I am just a black man with a hoe on my back.” With apologies to the doctor to whom this quote is attributed – I seem to recall having read it in a publication probably documenting the history of the National Medical Association. Dr. Head’s experience is a reminder that the insidiousness of racism is far from being controlled and much less eliminated.

By: wilma scott

wilma scott — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 22:55:02 +0000

I’m not surprised either. It is beyond disgusting. For a nation that is always touting how “CHRISTIAN” it is, WOW what a lie. It goes, however, right back to the election of a Black man as President. It has been the gigantic ELEPHANT in the room that we weren’t suspose to see or acknowlege – racism, alive and well.

By: RW1

RW1 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:36:08 +0000

I wish I could say I am surprised. One positve is that these people are showing their “true colors” so now Dr. Head knows who he has to watch.

By: Karina Varien

Karina Varien — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:29:55 +0000

This is pretty egregious. I believe the doctor made a huge mistake backing down initially in a bid for tenure. Really? I think once you let a racist know that you will tolerate this kind of bigotry in exchange for money (yes money , because prestige ain’t coming) then every shred of respect is permanently lost and it becomes open season. When he took the podium after this ‘roast’, it would have been far more beneficial to him if he had addressed the entire room in the open and educated them about bigotry and why it is never funny or acceptable in any of its forms. It probably would have gained him a lot more respect than quietly shuffling off into the background – in exchange for money and a questionable contract. He did not realize that he was already ‘destroyed’ when the [deleted] supervisor advised him that “making a stink about the roast would destroy him’. The fact is at that point, he had very little to lose -as he realized a little too late.

By: Mike Jay

Mike Jay — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:02:22 +0000

For all those Americans that think that racism is over or even has lessened, need to read this again. Dr. Head’s superiors are at the point that they feel that they don’t need to hide their racism any more so, instead of hiding it behind closed doors; at White only parties or on the golf cources; they plaster it on photoshppped viedeos or open messages as if to say, so; what are you going to do about it? This is the truth about what Blacks face everyday regardless of their position in life. It’s re-inforced by incidents like Trayvon, Martin, Ken Chamberlain and countless other incidences which send the same message: WE DON’T CARE IF YOU LIKE OR NOT; YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. It sets the stage for a race war.