Michigan State students outraged over racist remarks in professor’s survey

EAST LANSING, Mich. – A professor's survey that included racist and offensive statements has been taken down from a Michigan State University website, but not before it sent waves of outrage through the campus.

Saleem Alhabash, an associate professor of public relations and social media in the College of Communications Arts & Sciences, sent his survey to select students Monday through Qualtrics, a survey tool.

It asked them to rate statements taken directly from social media, Google, Reddit and other internet locations by scoring how stereotypical, funny, offensive, positive or prejudiced the comments were as part of a study testing how people respond to racist online speech.

The response was clear.

Several students told the Lansing State Journal that the statements were incredibly offensive and racist, targeting black people, Asians, Muslims, and the LGBTQ community and using racist epithets and other derogatory terms.

Alhabash took down the survey after hearing the outcry of concern.

Homophobia:A Tenn. county official called Pete Buttigieg a slur. It sparked calls to boycott Dollywood

"The intention of the survey was not to offend anyone," he said. "I’m deeply apologetic to anyone that was hurt by seeing these messages."

The survey included a disclaimer at the bottom, explaining that the objective was to “evaluate the level of aggressiveness for some statements that have been taken from the popular social media platforms.”

It warned that some messages were “racially offensive.”

'I don’t feel safe, at all.'

The warning didn't satisfy some students.

"The disclaimer was not a fair warning enough,” said Mya Jones, an MSU student who is black.

“I don’t feel safe, at all. I say that to a very extreme extent,” she said. “I do not feel safe, I do not know who to turn to.”

Alhabash said he regrets not including a stronger warning. Examples of the language survey takers would encounter could have been included, he said.

Raenu Charles, a junior who identifies as Indian American, said the news coming from the university over the past several days worries her.

A friend saw the survey and sent her a link. Charles couldn’t believe what she read.

“The questions made me feel physically sick and sent me to tears,” she said.

The statements regarding Asians especially hurt and scared her.

One statement mentioned buying a gun to “kill every ... Asian I see.” Another expressed the wish that Adolf Hitler could be reborn in Asia.

Report of toilet paper noose

The survey was circulated a few days after a black student reported that someone taped what appeared to be a noose made out of toilet paper on the door of her dorm room.

The MSU Black Students’ Alliance plans a forum to discuss the recent events on campus.

President Samuel Stanley sent a community letter to students, faculty, staff and alumni Tuesday, expressing his concern over recent events on campus, including the noose and the survey.

"These situations have disrupted a sense of safety that should exist for everyone," he wrote. "Building inclusive communities is at the core of our values, and the impact of recent events cannot be underestimated."

'These are things that exist'

Alhabash plans to continue his research but said he's learned from his latest work.

"At some point, we have to acknowledge that these are things that exist in the real world," he said. "It is very sad to say it was not very hard to find these posts online. Just looking at a YouTube comment section you will find things that are even more abhorrent.

"I know how painful it is. I sincerely apologize that some people have felt hurt by these particular posts that were taken out of context of the research."

Through his research, Alhabash has found what he called a "buffer" that exists in certain contexts and allows some people to feel comfortable publicly expressing those types of attitudes and opinions.

It's made worse by public figures who actively make such statements in the public eye, he said.

"It does speak volumes about the state of our society and the world now," Alhabash said.

Contributing: Kristan Obeng.

Follow Mark Johnson on Twitter: @ByMarkJohnson.