Two graduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder released what they called a “shadow report” alleging a hostile environment concerning race within the university’s School of Education. The release was called a shadow report as it presents “alternative framings to what an conventionally authoritative entity might submit for their own protection,” according to its authors.
The report followed the departure of four women of color faculty from the School of Education. The report stated that these women had been “pushed out” through various microaggressions and other abuses. Among the alleged abuses listed in the report were public attacks on the faculty and their scholarship, surveillance of personal social media accounts, and inappropriate comments towards women of color made by peers.
“The systematic bullying, denigration, and surveillance of women of color faculty, and Black women faculty, in particular, was excessive, obvious and undeniable,” the authors said.
“We appreciate the work that these graduate students did for this report to call out the challenges around anti-racism in our school and university,” said the dean of the School of Education, Kathy Schultz. “We all know that institutions of higher education have legacies of racism, and we at CU Boulder and in the School of Education are no exception.”
