UW Law Dean Apologizes For Professor's Alleged Comments
Kaplan Has Been At UW Since 1974
Posted: 5:40 pm CST February 22, 2007Updated: 1:44 pm CST February 23, 2007
MADISON, Wis. -- The head of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School issued an apology for derogatory comments that a longtime professor allegedly made in class.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportA student said professor Leonard Kaplan, who has been at UW-Madison since 1974, made the comments in class on Feb. 15.According to an e-mail from law student Kashia Moua, Kaplan's 10-minute rant included these comments: "Hmong men have no talent other than to kill"; "Hmong women are better off now that Hmong men are dying off in this country"; and "All second-generation Hmong end up in gangs and other criminal activity."Moua organized a meeting on Wednesday night in response to the incident.Law school Dean Kenneth Davis attended that meeting and apologized to the students offended. Davis said that Kaplan has been informed that his alleged conduct is inconsistent with the core values of the law school."We're a law school that deeply values diversity and inclusively. We have very diverse student body. This is an incident we regret. We've already started the process of talking through with our students. We had a meeting last night with a number of our Asian students, and others were welcome to talk about some of their feelings and where we go from here," Davis said.Davis wouldn't comment on any disciplinary action, but he said the law school is very open to addressing student concerns.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportA student said professor Leonard Kaplan, who has been at UW-Madison since 1974, made the comments in class on Feb. 15.According to an e-mail from law student Kashia Moua, Kaplan's 10-minute rant included these comments: "Hmong men have no talent other than to kill"; "Hmong women are better off now that Hmong men are dying off in this country"; and "All second-generation Hmong end up in gangs and other criminal activity."Moua organized a meeting on Wednesday night in response to the incident.Law school Dean Kenneth Davis attended that meeting and apologized to the students offended. Davis said that Kaplan has been informed that his alleged conduct is inconsistent with the core values of the law school."We're a law school that deeply values diversity and inclusively. We have very diverse student body. This is an incident we regret. We've already started the process of talking through with our students. We had a meeting last night with a number of our Asian students, and others were welcome to talk about some of their feelings and where we go from here," Davis said.Davis wouldn't comment on any disciplinary action, but he said the law school is very open to addressing student concerns. Copyright 2007 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
