Princeton professor who used slur cancels course

NEW JERSEY (WTXF) - A Princeton University professor canceled a course he teaches on cultural freedoms and hate speech after his use of a racial slur during a class discussion.

"I think people were like, 'Wow. Is this actually happening? Is this real life right now?"

Princeton sophomore Alexa Adams could hardly believe her ears and eyes for that matter when she says her Anthropology professor Lawrence Rosen went overboard using the N-word in a seminar called 'Cultural Freedoms: Hate Speech, Blasphemy and Pornography.'

He says, 'What's worse? A white man punching a black man in the face or a white man calling the black man the N-Word? But actually saying the N word," Alexa said. "The whole class just like erupts in discomfort. But he wouldn't punch a student in the face as an example so why would you state that comparison actually saying the word?"

Alexa says some students walked out of the class while others challenged the professor who simply would not back down.

"Students asked at least five times like can you apologize? You see how uncomfortable we are and he said he didn't see how he offended anyone."

She says that happened on the first day of the weekly class last week. Early this week, Rosen canceled the class allowing them to chose another course.

However, Alexa feels the damage was done.

"I think a lot of students, including myself agree that saying that word is unnecessary. It creates a lot of pain for so many people. I don't think he understands especially in this age when there's so many problems with racism."

There was no answer at Professor Rosen's house. Calls and emails to him were not returned.

Princeton University issued remarks essentially defending Rosen saying in part:

"As we noted in a statement last week, the University will continue to encourage students, faculty and staff to embrace the values of free speech and inclusively, which are central to our mission and critical to the education we provide to our students."

Alexa feels it should have been handled differently given the offensive history of the N-Word.

"I think he should have been more sensitive to that and at least apologized."