The Purdue Board of Trustees issued a formal reprimand to Chancellor Thomas Keon on Dec. 22 for comments he made during a Dec. 10 commencement.
The board concluded that offhand comments “made in poor taste” were unacceptable. However, the trustees also said the “offensive remark does not reflect a pattern of behavior or a system of beliefs” by Keon. The board also said another similar incident could result in more action by the board, including dismissal.
Keon apologized Dec. 14 in a statement issued by the university for the “off-the-cuff response to another speaker” that was “offensive and insensitive.”
“We are all human,” he said. “I made a mistake, and I assure you I did not intend to be hurtful and my comments do not reflect my personal or our institutional values.”
He also cited a new initiative started in the fall, PNW Respecting Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. The PRIDE Team initiative's mission is to create an atmosphere of respect and culture for all students, according to the PNW website.
“Purdue University Northwest, and I personally, take great pride in being welcoming and inclusive to all people,” he said.
However, the Executive Committee of the Purdue Northwest Faculty Senate, unanimously called for Keon's resignation in a Dec. 16 decision in light of the insulting comments made at the Dec. 10 commencement, citing “his inexcusable behavior (that) caused national and international outrage.”
The comments can be heard about 1:10 in a video of the morning commencement posted on the PNW YouTube channel.
