The Facebook post and subsequent reactions to it have been covered by the Houston Chronicle, Channel 13 and Channel 11. | Trey Strange/The Cougar
President and Chancellor Renu Khator made a statement on Thursday addressing the Facebook post from Rohini Sethi, the vice president of the Student Government Association, that has enraged students and initiated calls for her resignation.
“SGA has always been ‘of the students, by the students and for the students’ and UH’s system of shared governance does not allow administrative intervention in SGA,” Khator said.
Khator encouraged students to foster change through listening and acceptance.
“The University and I stand firm on the values of diversity, inclusion and unity,” Khator said. “But differences of opinion are the natural byproduct of such discourse, and UH remains committed to the principles of free and open expression.”
Sethi’s controversial post on Black Lives Matter last Thursday stemmed the trending #RemoveRohini and, most recently, a petition directed at Khator for Sethi’s removal. The petition is close to reaching its goal of 500 signatures.
SGA planned an open forum about the event to take place Thursday, but it has been rescheduled for July 26.
The statement also said that the Center for Diversity and Inclusion has planned activities to create “respectful” conversations between students.
Channel 13 got Sethi’s apology on Tuesday, and she published an explanation on her Facebook. However, a statement issued on Twitter from the Black Student Caucus, a collective of black leaders on campus, rejected her apologies.
A screenshot of Khator’s statement is below.
I am an embarrassed alumni. All lives matter does not lesson the importance of Black lives. Chancellor your hands off approach lacks courage.
University of Houston = Pontius Pilate