College disciplines professor after racial incident

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s College of California
has punished a singing instructor, who is the brother of a college
trustee, for his choice to use a song that uses racist terms in a voice
class last month.

College leaders said Monday the incident called into question Louis Lebherz’s future at the school. The musician already has been forced to apologize to the class and to complete diversity training, said Beth Dobkin, the college’s provost.

Lebherz, an artist in residence at Saint Mary’s, had been asked to teach classes this year, Dobkin said. His choice to use the original version of the show tune “Old Man River,” which refers to slaves and African-Americans in derogatory terms, will affect his employment, she said.

“It already has, but I can’t tell you to what
extent,” Dobkin said. “We’re continuing to discuss our future
relationship with him.”

Lebherz did not respond to messages left on his home and mobile phones Monday. His brother, Saint Mary’s trustee Philip Lebherz, also did not respond to a phone message.

In a letter written to the African-American student
who raised the complaint, Lebherz apologized for his choice of the
original score. The offensive language was taken out of later versions
of the song.

“I sincerely wish to apologize to you for my
insensitivity in having a student sing a song which called attention to
the racial problems that were and are a serious problem for our nation,
and also for our own institution,” Lebherz wrote to senior E.J. Youngblood.

The incident came at a particularly fragile time for
the Catholic school. Administrators have tried to make the college a
more welcoming place for minorities since 2008, when regional
accreditors criticized the school for having shoddy race relations and
a lack of diversity.

Accreditors earlier this year commended the college
for improvements, but students this month protested several areas of
weakness, including a lack of tolerance among employees and a shortage
of minority professors. Youngblood said he does not believe the college
has responded strongly enough to his grievance.

“I want him to be fired but, realistically, I know
that’s not going to happen because his brother is on the board of
trustees,” said Youngblood, who dropped Lebherz’s class after the March 4 incident.

Dobkin said the college has followed its
disciplinary rules to the letter and that she does not know of any
contact related to the matter between Philip Lebherz and college officials.

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(c) 2010, Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.).

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