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The University of Louisville is apologizing for a photo (at right) that showed President James Ramsey posing with his staff wearing stereotypical Mexican clothing and sombreros, The Courier-Journal reported. "We made a mistake and are very sorry," said Kathleen Smith, chief of staff to the president, in a statement. Smith said her office met with an official in the university's Office of Hispanic and Latino Initiatives and expressed "our deep regret for the hurt this experience has caused."
A column in the student newspaper said the president should have known better.
"The president of a school that prides itself in diversity opted to dress himself and his staff as a culture for Halloween. Not just a culture, but a minority that is frequently faced with prejudice. Not just a culture, but a completely wrongfully depicted culture according to people who are actually in that culture. There’s a word for this. It’s called racism," said the column. "Never mind that if a fraternity threw a party with a Mexican theme and pictures of them in these outfits got out, they would be in huge trouble just like countless other Greek organizations across the country in the past few years."
