An Ohio State assistant professor is under investigation from the university after the use of an antisemitic slur in class prompted social media outrage by the Jewish community. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
An Ohio State assistant professor is under investigation by the university after her use of an antisemitic slur in class prompted social media outrage by the Jewish community.
Students recorded Jackie Buell, an assistant professor in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, using the antisemitic slur “Jew down” when referring to negotiating prices when shopping in Mexico. The university is investigating the incident and is committed to preventing and responding to all forms of discrimination, Marti Leitch, director of media relations of the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State, said in an email.
Buell made the statement during an Oct. 18 lecture, according to NewsNationNow. The Lantern could not confirm the date of the incident with the university.
“Well we go down there and you’re just enjoying the whole shopping environment. Anybody who’s been to Mexico, you know, I mean Jewing people down is the way of the world down there, right?,” Buell said during the lecture. “You want to buy a blanket and has $5 on it, and you say, ‘I’ll give you $2 for it.’ They say no, you start walking away and they’ll say $3. They just want to get what they can out of it. But now they come to this country, we get people that come into the market all the time that want us to Jew things down on the vegetables, right?”
According to the American Jewish Committee, “Jew down” is an antisemitic term referring to a stereotype that Jewish people are cheap or stingy.
Outrage over the incident has spread across social media. The Instagram account @jewishpridealways, which works to combat antisemitism, garnered over 5,100 likes and over 300 comments on its post about the professor’s use of the slur.
According to the social media post, when she received an email about what she said during the lecture, Buell responded saying she did not want to offend anyone and has “never associated the word ‘Jew’ with any particular person or group.”
“I am sorry to have offended anyone,” Buell said in her response to the complaint about her comments, according to the post.
Buell did not respond to The Lantern’s request for comment by time of publication.
The Ohio State University Hillel, a Jewish organization on campus that works to grow an inclusive community, issued a statement on social media Sunday condemning the incident. The organization said it has been briefed by the university on steps to investigate the incident.
“No Buckeye should have to feel discriminated against because of their background,” the group stated. “If you are a student who feels unsafe or has been a target of antisemitism do not hesitate to contact Hillel immediately. We are committed to you and to keeping OSU the safe school it has been for generations of Jewish students.”
