Yale University has offered to rehire a black dishwasher who resigned from his post in June after telling school officials that he intentionally smashed a stained glass window that depicted two slaves picking cotton.
“We are willing to grant his request for a second chance at Yale,” Director of External Communications Karen Peart said Tuesday in a statement.
Corey Menafee was arrested by police in New Haven, Connecticut after taking a broom handle to what he called the “racist, very degrading” image, which hung in the dining room of the university’s Calhoun College. The college, named for alum and pro-slavery former Vice President John C. Calhoun, is decorated with other slavery-themed paintings and stained glass panels.
Menafee faced misdemeanor reckless endangerment and felony criminal criminal mischief charges in connection with the incident.
Peart said that the school has asked the State’s Attorney’s office to drop all charges and invited Menafee to return to his position “in a different setting” next week.
“We are willing to take these unusual steps given the unique circumstances of this matter, and it is now up to Mr. Menafee whether he wishes to return to Yale,” she said in the statement.
Menafee, a father of two, formally asked to be reinstated through his union this week.
In interviews with the press, Menafee explained that he lashed out because he was “tired of” looking at the offensive image.
“It’s 2016, I shouldn’t have to come to work and see things like that,” he told the New Haven Independent.
Menafee expressed remorse for his actions, telling the Independent he should have taken a different recourse.
“There’s always better ways of doing things like that than just destroying things,” he said. “It wasn’t my property, and I had no right to do it.”
His cause was taken up by Yale students, alumni and faculty, as well as New Haven community members.
Bravo, Yale! This is the gracious, calming route to take under these particular circumstances.
Is he going to pay for the window? He should.
A society of ordered liberty, as Justice Cardozo called it, cannot let people go around destroying property because they feel aggrieved by something they see. How would we feel if a museum guard destroyed a sculpture, because she believes that showing nude figures of women is degrading?
“There’s always better ways of doing things like that than just destroying things,” he said. “It wasn’t my property, and I had no right to do it.”
Absolutely right. You should offer full restitution for what you destroyed.
Unfortunately too many people think that there is a Right Not To Be Offended in the Bill Of Rights.
I can’t blame the guy.
It’s the 21st century and still we glamorize “slaves picking cotton” in stained glass at one of the top universities in the country? In New England for crying out loud.
As with the hate banner, all racist glorification of whites owning others, must be if not destroyed at least thrown out on the trash head of history! We have no place for them 150 years after the civil war. Actually we had no place for such hate crap the year after the civil war!
Compassion from all parties. Humanity even.
Now back to our regularly scheduled:
jw1