Dean of Claremont McKenna College Resigns After Students Protest Racial Bias

In response to the article, Spellman emailed Espinosa saying, “We are working on better serving our students, especially those who don’t fit our CMC mold”, according to a copy of the message carried by the school newspaper.

Students demonstrated on Wednesday to repeat demands that administrators address earlier incidents, including photos of slaves in Facebook invitations to a pirate-themed party, complaints by students of color that they were spat at and peed on at parties, vandalism of Queer Resource Center posters with anti-gay language, vandalism of Black Lives Matter posters, and a student activist’s contention he was called a “cockroach” by a professor.

In her letter, sent out to students and faculty, Ms. Spellman says she is stepping down “with sadness beyond words”.

The University of Missouri turmoil, which began last week, sparked demonstrations and marches on college campuses across the country over what students describe as an overly lenient approach to racial abuse by school administrators.

Spellman’s decision comes days after student protests over racial discrimination at the University of Missouri’s main campus in Columbia led to the resignation of the school’s president and chancellor.

Junior Class President Kris Brackmann appeared alongside the offensive costumes in the photo and has since resigned her post over the ordeal.

In addition, Benavidez said, the college will open a space for students who feel marginalized to meet and program.

But students shouldn’t just be pushed to the side to talk amongst themselves, added student DeDe Curtis, a junior and president of the Pan-African Student’s Association and co-founder of the Black Womyn’s Collective on campus.

She wrote that her resignation “is the right thing to do for the school and the students I care about so deeply”.

“She said she respected the movement and respected what we were trying to do”, Lemmons said of the conversation.

Though race has been an issue for the school for most of the year, the controversy gained momentum this week when a photo of students in racially insensitive Halloween costumes surfaced.

Spellman also wrote that she had received support from faculty and students.

On Wednesday night, Chodosh released a letter announcing the creation of a new position on diversity and inclusion within Student Affairs.

Chodosh wrote the position will be “dedicated to provide direct student support and educational and experiential programming for the entire campus”. Protesters claimed Spellman and other school officials “had not done enough to create a safe space on campus for students from marginalized backgrounds”.

“To all who have been so supportive, please know how sorry I am if my decision disappoints you”, Ms. Spellman wrote.