SUNY-Cortland professor reported to 'bias team' for saying US race and gender relations have improved since 1930s

A professor from SUNY-Cortland, a college in New York, has been reported to the university's "bias response team," for reportedly suggesting in the classroom that race and gender relations in the United States have improved since the 1930s.

According to The College Fix, when the professor in question began teaching in January of this year, he told his class that he would not focus on bashing the United States for its past sins, emphasizing a need to recognize the present realities of the country's social and racial relations contextually.

"We should be proud of how far we've come as a society relating to race and gender relations," the professor said, introducing himself at the beginning of the semester as an educator who would not be "one of those America-is-evil academics."

The professor, whose identity has been redacted by SUNY-Cortland, also made remarks about how personal responsibility played an important part in the success of individuals who wanted to climb the ladder of prosperity. Individuals of all demographics who were quick to blame hardships on discrimination would find themselves unable to make the hike upwards, the professor added.

A student reported the professor to the bias team by submitting the school-designed form called the "bias-related incident reporting form."

"It made me sick to my stomach because it was clear that people had tried to educate him, and he was firmly within his beliefs and ignorance," one student reported, according to the complaint against the professor.

"This form is available for the reporting of incidents of bias related incidents, including, but not limited to (dis)ability, age, ethnicity, gender/sexism, gender identity/expression, nationality/immigration status, physical appearance, race, faith/non-faith, sexual orientation, and/or socio-economic status/class," the school’s website states online for the incident form's description.

The website adds that the form's use is not limited to students. "Anyone in our campus community can report a bias related incident as it relates to SUNY Cortland. You do not have to be a student/faculty/staff member of SUNY Cortland for you to disrupt bias related behaviors in our campus community," it reads.

Students who believe they've encountered an example of bias that matches the description provided online can then fill it out anonymously and submit it to the school's leadership. From there, the complaint goes to the Chief Diversity Officer and the Affirmative Action Officer after which appropriate action is taken by school leadership. So far, the student body at SUNY-Cortland has submitted dozens of complaints since January of 2020, The College Fix reported.

SUNY-Cortland has not specified if action has been taken to address the professor who made remarks about the United State's cultural improvement.