‘REPREHENSIBLE’

Georgetown Law Professor Fired for Remarks About Black Students

The school’s diversity office is investigating a professor’s comment that Black students always scored lower in her classes.

Georgetown Law has fired an adjunct professor and placed another on leave over remarks about Black students at the university. Sandra Sellers, who is white, said during a recorded Zoom call, “I hate to say this. I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks. Happens almost every semester. And it’s like, ‘Oh, come on.’ You get some really good ones, but there are also usually some that are just plain at the bottom. It drives me crazy.” She apologized in a resignation letter: “I would never do anything to intentionally hurt my students or Georgetown Law and wish I could take back my words. Regardless of my intent, I have done irreparable harm and I am truly sorry for this.” David Batson, also party to the call, has been placed on leave. Georgetown University’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action has opened an investigation. Law school dean William ­Treanor called the comments “reprehensible.”