Editor’s note: the following is in response to the column entitled “‘Get to the back of the bus:’ The issue of racism demands our attention”
First, I would like to apologize to any who feel that the column was misleading or inaccurate. The columnist intended to use the situation with the bus driver as an anecdote to discuss the larger issue of racism in general, and did not intend to place blame or point fingers.
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The column used the information that was available at the time, which was that an incident occurred in which a student felt uncomfortable. Regardless of the interpretation, a student was still affected by this incident and therefore the column was a valid way to bring these larger issues of racism to light.
However, after contacting Transfort, it appears that the incident did not have malicious intent.
According to Transfort’s General Manager Kurt Ravenschlag, the issue “has been resolved, and the (discrimination) complaint has been withdrawn.”
Shortly following the incident, Transfort met with a group of concerned students about the complaint.
“We were able to show them the on-bus surveillance that contained audio and video,” Ravenschlag said. “After viewing the video, it was decided by the student that no further action was needed.”
Ravenschlag also stated that Transfort has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to discrimination, and that the company as a whole takes any type of discrimination complaint very seriously.
You can view Transfort’s official statement on their Facebook page.
Collegian Opinion Editor Haleigh McGill can be reached at letters@collegian.com, or on Twitter @HaleighMcGill.
danielle • Dec 15, 2015 at 2:04 pm
No, the “columnist” wasn’t just trying to discuss racism as a larger issue in general. What that columnist was trying to do was cash in a story for a very heated subject right now to get clicks/views without doing any research or fact checking. Don’t bullshit us and pretend it was about the “bigger picture”. How about you own your mistake and start having your “authors” fact check before posting?
A critic • Dec 14, 2015 at 10:13 am
This is pathetic. This politically correct yellow journalism slandered a service that most of CSU uses and the Collegian doesn’t even have the integrity to apologize for it. No racism occurred by the sound of it but you, as a newspaper, should probably have found that out by carrying out a piece of investigative journalism rather than approving a slanderous opinion column based on hearsay. The Collegian is better than this and I really hope you do whats right and acknowledge this mistake.
If you want to bring to light actual occurrences of racism in the community go find them. Thats what journalists do. Until then don’t be surprised is Transfort takes some sort of action against you.
Luke • Dec 12, 2015 at 2:42 am
The Collegian is an absolute joke. “You apologize to those who feel mislead”? No, you mean to say you apologize for being misleading and inaccurate. Wil is 100% correct on this. No Haleigh, someone mishearing something or being too sensitive is in NO way a valid way to bring larger issues of racism to light. In fact it only makes it worse. Issue a real apology. Slander should be taken seriously. The fact that you give a half ass apology while hiding behind a ridiculous excuse is a joke.
Sincerely • Dec 11, 2015 at 8:13 am
Things like this is why I actively discourage others from reading the Collegian. I understand that it’s a student-run newspaper, but this is simply moronic. I agree with Wil that running an article on such a serious topic without factchecking it is simply irresponsible. Claiming that it was meant as an “anecdote” is just another way of you to shield yourselves from the consequences and from further scrutiny. I’m disgusted by both the author of the original article and you, Haleigh, for perpetuating such a falsehood and then hiding under this apology. It reflects poorly on CSU community and the journalism program here, and I am ashamed.
Wil • Dec 11, 2015 at 12:00 am
Collegian – you’re ridiculous. You need to publish an unconditional apology. I won’t judge the student – perhaps she has had a life full of very negative experiences that have led to her assuming the worst from others. I know I’ve been there. But to run articles on racism when in fact no racism was intended or indeed reasonably inferred is irresponsible. Somebody being “affected” means nothing. If you misheard or were too sensitive, that’s all there is to it.
I see racism every month from this campus – real, actual prejudice between races – and people often don’t even perceive it. Articles like this make it even harder for people to acknowledge the actual issues because they build up defensive walls the more lies and half truths they have to put up with.
A student hearing something wrong or assuming somebody wished her ill is one thing. But a “newspaper” running with it without waiting or fact checking is another. Wait until you do this to somebody with the money for a libel suit. It’ll be hard to pay off college loans then.
Concerned Student • Dec 10, 2015 at 9:23 pm
What a terrible “apology”!!! How can you claim that Chynna meant to use the incident as an anecdote??? She clearly and repeatedly stated a false claim as fact. Making false claims does nothing to help race relations and in fact only makes it worse. This response from the Collegian is absolutely despicable. Have some journalistic integrity!!!