Saxon Resident Director Kristo Gobin told his class of future resident assistants and RA alternates last Wednesday that he only hires “colored people” to maintain diversity, and though many students said Gobin did not mean to be offensive, others were still upset by it.
“I said that in reference to hiring diverse students ““ the more diverse of a team, the more equipped they will be to serve our diverse community, because we have a high student population of color,” Gobin said.
Gobin, who is white, said he does not discriminate against white people.
A student in his class, who wished to remain anonymous because it could jeopardize her job, said she was offended by what Gobin said. She said she really liked Gobin, but lost respect for him after he made the comment and believes it is not fair for a resident director to let race play a role in selecting RAs.
“I completely just shut down. I didn’t speak for the rest of the class. I didn’t talk to him afterward, because I thought I would cry and I wanted to be professional,” she said. “I just thought that if it were said about any other race, it wouldn’t be appropriate to say … it’s discrimination.”
She said that hearing him say directly, “I only hire colored people,” was both discriminatory and upsetting for her.
But other students in the class said they felt the comment was acceptable in the context in which it was made.
Elaine Nguyen, a second-year biology student in Gobin’s class, said she believes the RD said it in response to a situation with a former Saxon RA who accused Gobin of being racist.
“He was talking about (the former RA). It wasn’t meant to be said that he only hires certain people,” Nguyen said.
Another student in the class, who also asked to remain anonymous, confirmed that Gobin did make the remark but believes it came out the wrong way.
“To me it was more of an anti-racist comment, like, “˜Look, I’m not a racist. I’m open-minded about people that I hire,'” he said. “I don’t think he was trying to imply that he doesn’t hire white people.”
Susan Swarts, assistant director of the Office of Residential Life, said she had not heard anything about the comment, but said it is against university and ORL policy to consider race when hiring employees.
“When you look up university policy, it’s not appropriate ““ period,” she said, referring to discriminating against a race in the hiring process.
She also said there is no information regarding race on the RA application.
“We don’t ask them what their race is,” Swarts said. “It’s not part of the application or selection process.”
None of the Saxon RAs next year is white, but a couple of alternates are. Gobin said the appointed student leaders in Saxon for next year do include white students. Student leaders are selected by the assistant RD and by residents, and others are appointed by the newly-elected student leaders, but Gobin said he helps review the applications as well.
Some students who work with Gobin said he sometimes says things that should not be taken literally.
“He says things, but people take what he says too literally,” a current Saxon resident who wished to remain anonymous said. “He doesn’t mean to offend anyone. … I can see him saying that, but he has good intentions.”
Vanessa West, current secretary of Saxon, agreed that Gobin sometimes says things that may be misinterpreted.
“I know Kristo says things that can have that kind of weight. Personally I don’t think it’s something he’d say and mean,” West said, referring to the comment. “Sometimes he’ll say things and you’re like, “˜What does he mean by that?’ but I don’t think that they should be taken literally. That’s just his style.”
But the student in his class who was offended by Gobin’s comment was unaware of his “style.”
She said the rest of the class seemed to go about class like nothing had happened, but she “just kind of did everything (they) were told to do without interacting with others,” because she was so upset.
CORRECTION: The story should have said that some student leaders are elected by residents, and others are appointed by the newly-elected student leaders.