Reed College Professor Quits Months After Racist Video

Paul Currie, a professor of psychology at Reed College,  has resigned, effective January 6, 2023.

Students have been demanding his ouster since March, when a video surfaced of him making racist statements. In the video, he asks a woman if she was born in the United States or is an illegal immigrant. (She answers that she was born in Portland.)

Audrey Bilger, president of Reed, wrote that “[l]ast spring, many community members expressed concerns, ones I shared, about a video circulated on social media that captured remarks made by a professor on leave from the college, Paul Currie. Based on the content of the video, the incident led to calls for reconsideration of Professor Currie’s appointment, a position he held with indefinite tenure. Following the procedure outlined in college documents governing faculty employment, a faculty committee investigated the incident and found no violation of college policy. I have accepted the committee’s decision. After receiving the report, I discussed the committee’s findings with legal experts and with Professor Currie. As a result of these discussions, Professor Currie has resigned from his position.”

The Oregonian reported Currie issued a written apology for what he called “reprehensible” conduct after the video became public.

Currie did not respond to the Oregonian for a comment on his resignation.