thefire.org

Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis: Student Employee Found Guilty of 'Racial Harassment' for Reading a Book

One of FIRE's most shocking cases in 2008 was that of Keith John Sampson, a student-employee at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) who was found guilty of racial harassment for merely reading the book Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan during his work breaks. Thanks to FIRE's involvement and the extensive media coverage of the case, the finding against Sampson was eventually overturned and his school record was cleared, but the story behind this incident is still disturbing.

Case Materials

• "Political Correctness vs. Freedom of Thought - The Keith John Sampson Story," February 27, 2009: One of FIRE's most shocking cases in 2008 was that of Keith John Sampson, a student-employee at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) who was found guilty of racial harassment for merely reading the book Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan during his work breaks. Thanks to FIRE's involvement and the extensive media coverage of the case, the finding against Sampson was eventually overturned and his school record was cleared, but the story behind this incident is still disturbing months later. Filmmaker Andrew Marcus has produced a short documentary on Sampson's case in the hopes of restoring his reputation and bringing to light the incidents of censorship that are all too common on college campuses today.
• "IUPUI's Schneider Finally Admits No Harassing Actions in anti-KKK Book Case," July 21, 2008: Townhall.com columnist Mike Adams has procured a "no" from Rich Schneider, the IUPUI official who apparently accused student-employee Keith John Sampson of "harassing behavior," on the question of whether Sampson engaged in any racially harassing actions whatsoever at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.
• "FIRE letter to IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz," July 17, 2008
• "Letter from IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz to Keith John Sampson," July 11, 2008
• "Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Attacks Student Cleared of Racial Harassment," July 8, 2008: Two months ago, in the face of withering public criticism, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) revoked its original finding that student-employee Keith John Sampson had committed racial harassment by reading a book at work that celebrated the defeat of the Ku Klux Klan in a 1924 street brawl. Now, IUPUI is claiming that Sampson was in fact punished for some other behavior, but the school refuses to reveal any details of this alleged conduct. FIRE is calling on IUPUI to either reveal and prove this alleged offense or stop publicly smearing its own student.
• "Victory at IUPUI: Student-Employee Found Guilty of Racial Harassment for Reading a Book Now Cleared of All Charges," May 1, 2008: Administrators at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis have revoked their finding that a student-employee was guilty of racial harassment merely for publicly reading the book Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan. Following pressure from FIRE, IUPUI has declared that Keith John Sampson's record is clear and said it will reexamine its affirmative action procedures relating to internal complaints.
• "IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz's letter to FIRE, April 17, 2008," April 17, 2008
• "Episode 107: FIRE's Case at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis," March 31, 2008
• "FIRE letter to IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz, March 28, 2008," March 28, 2008
• "IUPUI worker's five-month book dilemma appears at an end," March 19, 2008
• "IUPUI AAO Letter to Sampson, February 7, 2008," February 7, 2008
• "ACLU-IN's Letter to IUPUI Counsel, January 31, 2008," January 31, 2008
• "ACLU-IN's Letter to IUPUI Counsel, December 20, 2007," December 20, 2007
• "IUPUI AAO Letter to Sampson, November 25, 2007," November 25, 2007

Blog Entries

• "John Stossel on Over-Regulation and FIRE's Case at IUPUI," by Adam Kissel, July 14, 2010
• "Temple University Case on CPNLive," by Adam Kissel, January 22, 2010
• "New Video Documents Student-Employee Found Guilty of Harassment for Reading a Book," December 23, 2008: One of FIRE's most shocking cases in 2008 was that of Keith John Sampson, a student-employee at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) who was found guilty of racial harassment for merely reading the book Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan during his work breaks. Thanks to FIRE's involvement and the extensive media coverage of the case, the finding against Sampson was eventually overturned and his school record was cleared, but the story behind this incident is still disturbing months later. Filmmaker Andrew Marcus has produced a short documentary on Sampson's case in the hopes of restoring his reputation and bringing to light the incidents of censorship that are all too common on college campuses today.
• "This Month in FIRE History: IUSB and Double Standards for Student Speech," by Claire Jenkins, September 18, 2008
• "Weekly Media Round-up: Student Press Continues to Pressure IUPUI, and Harvey Silverglate on the Death of Parody on Campus," by Peter Bonilla, August 1, 2008
• "Weekly Media Round-up: Student Journalists Take the Reins at IUPUI," by Peter Bonilla, July 25, 2008
• "Weekly Media Round-up: IUPUI Heats up the News Cycle, and Richard Celeste Continues to Get it Wrong," by Peter Bonilla, July 18, 2008
• "FIRE Calls on IUPUI to Resolve Sampson Matter for Good," by Azhar Majeed, July 17, 2008
• "The Associated Press Covers IUPUI Debacle," by William Creeley, July 15, 2008
• "Institutional Disharmony at IUPUI," by Azhar Majeed, July 14, 2008: Keith John Sampson has received a letter from Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Chancellor Charles R. Bantz apologizing for the poor treatment he received at the hands of the university. In the letter, Bantz reaffirms that the university's Affirmative Action Office was wrong to conclude that Sampson's act of reading a book during his work breaks constituted racial harassment. Bantz further states that he now considers the matter resolved. However, university relations officials at IUPUI have made recent public statements to the effect that the harassment finding against Sampson stemmed from other, undisclosed conduct, thus preventing the matter from being truly resolved. While Bantz's letter constitutes progress on the part of IUPUI, the public smearing of Sampson remains unacceptable.
• "IUPUI Changes Tune on Student’s ‘Racial Harassment’ Charge," July 8, 2008
• "‘The Wall Street Journal’ Covers Keith John Sampson’s Ordeal at IUPUI," by William Creeley, July 7, 2008
• "Administrator in “Racial Harassment” Case at IUPUI Retires," by Azhar Majeed, May 19, 2008
• "Keith John Sampson on His ‘Nightmare’ at IUPUI," by Azhar Majeed, May 9, 2008
• "Judging a Book By Its Cover - Literally," May 5, 2008
• "Victory at IUPUI: Student-Employee Finally Vindicated on Racial Harassment Charge," by Azhar Majeed, May 1, 2008
• "Individual Rights Languishing in Indiana," by Adam Kissel, April 16, 2008
• "“Muzzle Tov” to Brandeis and Valdosta State from Greg," April 11, 2008
• "New ‘FIREside Chats’ Podcast Available," March 31, 2008
• "FIRE Column on IUPUI Racial Harassment Finding in ‘Indy Star’," by Emily Guidry, March 25, 2008: Today's Indianapolis Star features a column written by FIRE's Azhar Majeed, a Justice Robert H. Jackson Fellow, on Keith Sampson's case at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Sampson, a student-employee, was found guilty of racial harassment for reading the book Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan. Following a complaint from Sampson's coworkers, IUPUI's Affirmative Action Office (AAO) sent Sampson a letter of reprimand informing him that he had been found guilty of racial harassment, but failed to afford him a hearing or any opportunity to defend himself. The AAO eventually sent Sampson a second letter acknowledging that he is free to read the book during his work breaks, but failed to apologize or admit wrongdoing for its handling of the matter. FIRE has called on IUPUI to remove the harassment finding from Sampson's record and to hold the AAO accountable for its actions.
• "‘Indianapolis Star’ Covers Racial Harassment Case at IUPUI," by Azhar Majeed, March 18, 2008
• "Commentators, Readers Weigh in on Racial Harassment Case at IUPUI," by Azhar Majeed, March 7, 2008
• "A Follow-Up on Racial Harassment at IUPUI," by Azhar Majeed, March 6, 2008
• "Read a Book, Harass a Co-Worker at IUPUI," by Azhar Majeed, March 5, 2008

Media Coverage

• "Higher education can lower your expectations,"
  by Richard Reeb, Barstow Desert Dispatch, August 3, 2010
• "Free-Speech Organization Launches Ad Campaign Warning Colleges That Violate Students' Rights,"
  by Greg Lukianoff, The Huffington Post, August 26, 2009
• "The case isn't closed,"
  by Staff Editorial, Indiana Daily Student, July 30, 2008
• "IUPUI chancellor: Race-based incident is ‘closed’,"
  by Kaitlin Shawgo, Indiana Daily Student, July 23, 2008
• "IUPUI says sorry to janitor scolded over KKK book,"
  by Associated Press, The New York Times, July 14, 2008
• "University attacks student for reading this book,"
  WorldNetDaily, July 9, 2008
• "American politics aren't 'post-racial',"
  by Dorothy Rabinowitz, The Wall Street Journal, July 7, 2008
• "My ‘racial harassment’ nightmare,"
  by Keith John Sampson, New York Post, May 9, 2008
• "Judging a book by its cover - literally,"
  by Greg Lukianoff, The Huffington Post, May 2, 2008
• "It's safe to read again at Indiana University,"
  by Jacob Sullum, Reason Online, May 1, 2008
• "Book-reading IUPUI worker deserved better,"
  by Azhar Majeed, The Indianapolis Star, March 25, 2008