Duke University is getting a lot of attention on social media these last few days, and none of it is good. Why? Megan Neely, a Duke University professor, reportedly sent an email on Friday asking Chinese students not to speak Chinese in common areas. The email, originally sent to students in the biostatistics master’s program, made its way onto Twitter, and people are understandably livid.
As of now, she has stepped down from her position as the director of this program. But she remains an assistant professor at Duke.
Here’s how this all went down: The email alleges that two faculty members told her they witnessed "a small group of first-year students who they observed speaking Chinese ... VERY LOUDLY" in the school’s common areas. This was brought to Neely’s attention because the faculty members wanted to know who the students were so “they could remember them if the students ever interviewed for an internship or asked to work with them for a master’s project."
But, the email says, the faculty members were not singing the students’ praises.
Neely’s email continues, “They were disappointed that these students were not taking the opportunity to improve their English and were being so impolite as to have a conversation that not everyone on the floor could understand. ... To international students, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep these unintended consequences in mind when you choose to speak in Chinese in the building."
According to USA Today, a university spokesperson confirmed that images of the email shared online are authentic.
Basically, the implication of this email is that students who speak their non-English native language in a casual setting may lose internship or job opportunities because of it. Which is, of course, completely abhorrent and unacceptable. Neely’s email said, “I have no idea how hard it has been and still is for you to come to the US and have to learn in a non-native language. As such, I have the upmost respect for what you are doing. That being said, I encourage you to commit to using English 100% of the time when you are in Hock or any other professional setting.”
As of Sunday afternoon, more than 1,900 students had signed a petition calling for a full investigation of Neely’s emails. This includes identifying the unnamed faculty members her email references. In a joint statement from The university's Asian Students Association and International Association said in a joint statement, "For international students, speaking in their mother tongue is a means of comfort and familiarity with a home and culture that is oftentimes suppressed within the United States. Within the bounds of one's personal conversations, people should wholeheartedly be able to speak any language they wish — to strip away this agency is demeaning, disrespectful, and wholly discriminatory."
Dr. Mary Klotman, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine, wrote a letter apologizing for the incident, saying, “There is absolutely no restriction or limitation on the language you use to converse and communicate with each other. Your career opportunities and recommendations will not in any way be influenced by the language you use outside the classroom. And your privacy will always be protected.”
What makes matters worse is that an email dating back to February 2018 reveals a similar sentiment from Neely, which makes the possibility of this being an insidious pattern even more likely.
On Sunday evening, Neely apologized to students in the program via email: "I deeply regret the hurt my email has caused. It was not my intention. Moving forward, it is my sincerest wish that every student in the Master of Biostatistics program is successful in all of their endeavors."