HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary HRC Packet 2023
Human Rights Commission
January 24, 2023
Formal Meeting – 5:30 PM
Helling Conference Room, City Hall
Agenda:
1. Call the meeting to order and roll call
2. Reading of Native American Land Acknowledgment
3. Approval of November 22, 2022, meeting minutes
4. Public comment of items not on the agenda. (Commentators shall address the Commission for
no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public
concerning said items)
5. Introduction and Welcome of Newly Appointed Commissioners
6. Elections for Chair and Vice Chair for 2023
7. Racial Equity & Social Justice Grant (RESJ)
a. Reports from last year’s grant recipients
b. Conflict checks for 2023
c. Distribution of grants and the rubric for 2023
8. Commission Committee Overview, Assignments, Updates
a. Building Bridges
b. Reciprocal Relationships
c. Breaking Bread
9. Black History Month Proclamation
10. Correspondence
11. Staff/Commission Announcements (Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with one
another concerning said announcements)
12. Adjournment
MEETING PACKET CONTENTS:
1. AGENDA: TUESDAY, January 24, 2023
2. NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
4. DRAFT MINUTES: November 22, 2022
5. GRANT REPORT FROM GREAT PLAINS ACTION SOCIETY
6. GRANT REPORT FROM OPEN HEARTLAND
If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this meeting please contact Human
Rights Coordinator, Stefanie Bowers, at 319-356-5022 or at stefanie-bowers@iowa-city.org. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
Draft Minutes
Human Rights Commission
November 22, 2022
Emma J. Harvat Hall
Commissioners present: Mark Pries, Jason Glass, Ashley Lindley, Sylvia Jons, Bijou Maliabo, Jahnavi
Pandya, Roger Lusala.
Commissioners not present: Kelsey Paul Shantz, Doug Kollasch.
Staff present: Stefanie Bowers, Veronica May.
Recommendation to City Council: No.
Meeting called to order: 5:32 PM.
Native American Land Acknowledgement: Lindley read the Land Acknowledgement.
Public comment of items not on the agenda: None.
Approval of meeting minutes of October 25, 2022: Lusala moved, and Lindley seconded. Motion passed 7-
0.
Introduction of Veronica May: May was recently hired as the Community Outreach Assistant for the police
department. May spoke on a current winter clothing drive by the police department with donations being
given away on December 7, at the Iowa City Kirkwood Campus.
Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant: The packet included reports from IC Compassion, the Center for
Worker Justice, and Houses into Homes. The next grant cycle begins on December 1 with applications
being accepted through January 6.
Committee Updates:
Breaking Bread – Glass, Lindley, Kollasch
Reciprocal Relationships – Lusala and Jons
Building Bridges – Maliabo, Paul Shantz, Pries
Breaking Bread hopes to get one event launched yet this year. Ideally in December with an opportunity for
community members to have Coffee with the Commission. The committee also sent out an email to past
serving commission members in an attempt to get a list of volunteers to assist at commission and/or
community events.
Reciprocal Relationships is looking for opportunities to become actively engaged with grant recipients of
both 2022 and 2023.
Building Bridges met with past Mayor Throgmorton. The group is looking forward to the City Council’s
strategic plan to see in what ways they can assist the city in reaching its goals.
All committees will need newly appointed commissioners added in 2023. Each committee will also send
staff a one-page yearend recap on here’s what we did and here’s what we did not have time to finish for
those newly appointed commissioners.
Announcements of staff and commissioners: Pries saw the newly released film “Armageddon Time” a
coming-of-age story of two young men, one Black and one Jewish. He would advise others to go see it.
Maliabo, Pries, and Lusala represented the commission at a screening of “Till” in conjunction with Film
Scene. Lindley asked commissioners to take a minute of silence for those who lost their lives in the LGTQ+
motived mass shooting in Colorado Springs. Lusala mentioned the success of the Human Rights Awards
Breakfast, how good the Truthsgiving event was and, his opportunity to meet with a group of Kenyan
delegates. Pandya provides direct service to refugees through IC Compassion. Jons updated commissioners
on how she and her employer honored four fellows for their refugee rights work.
Adjourned: 7:22 PM.
The meeting can be viewed at https://citychannel4.com/video.html?series=Local%20Government.
Human Rights Commission
ATTENDANCE RECORD
YEAR 2022
(Meeting Date)
NAME
TERM
EXP.
1/25 2/22 3/29 4/26 5/24 7/11 7/26 8/23 9/27 10/25 11/22
Jason Glass 2022 P P P P P P P P P P P
Ashley Lindley 2022 P P P P P P P P P P P
Mark Pries 2022 P P P P P P P P P P P
Roger Lusala 2023 P P P P P P P - A P P
Bijou Maliabo 2023 P P P P P P P P P P P
Kelsey Paul Shantz 2023 - - - - - - P P P P A
Jahnavi Pandya 2024 _ - - - - - - - - - P
Sylvia Jons 2024 P A P P P A P P P A P
Doug Kollasch 2024 - - - - - - - - P P A
KEY: P = Present
A = Absent
R = Resigned
Open Heartland
SJRE Q1 Report
Page 1 of 2
Open Heartland: We Belong Project
FY22 Social Justice and Racial Equity Grant: Quarter 1 Report
Project Summary: Through participation in the “We Belong” project, participants will build self-esteem and a
sense of belonging to a new culture and community. The majority of the adults served by Open Heartland were
not able to finish school in their home countries due to lack of access, the necessity to go to work at a very
young age, or poverty. The project programs and activities, all with free childcare provided, will be accessible to
clients in their native Spanish language at no cost to increase access. The program activities will impact families
by allowing adults and teens opportunities to: improve their abilities to speak and understand English, participate
in community conversation groups with native English speakers, become computer literate, gain understanding
of US culture, earn their GEDs, learn new skills to contribute to their economic stability and ability to care for
mobile homes that are in disrepair, and improve their mental health with active involvement in support groups. All
"We Belong" programs are free and will be facilitated during evenings and weekends when kids are not in
school.
Total Budget: $9,285.00
Activities
Educational Classes
English Language classes take place every Saturday afternoon from 5pm-6pm. Through the “We
Belong” project funding, we have purchased beginner English textbooks, writing utensils, notebooks, instructor’s
utensils, and childcare. We have a committed group of 10-12 students who attend weekly, and recently have had
many new individuals inquiring about joining the class. Our goal for the 2nd quarter is to add an additional
weekday evening English Language class to accommodate the additional ELL learners.
Computer Literacy classes take place every Tuesday evening from 6pm-7pm. Through the “We Belong”
project funding, we have paid a facilitator for these sessions through the end of 2022 and have purchased
instructor’s materials required for teaching, including Chromebooks. Childcare has also been provided for these
sessions. We have a committed group of 12-15 students who attend weekly.
In addition to our English Language and Computer Literacy classes, small tutoring groups took place to
assist individuals who are preparing for their US Citizenship test through the USCIS Naturalization process. Two
of our students have successfully passed this test through USCIS and are now United States citizens!
To celebrate the holidays, Open Heartland hosted a virtual holiday concert with our partners Cellists for
Change on December 16. We had 7 families attend this first of its kind event where food and culture was shared
through classical music composed by traditionally underrepresented composers. The event though attended by
only a few families was well received prompting Open Heartland to plan a 2nd classical music concert in the
spring of 2023.
Group Meetings
The Women’s Wellness Group meets bi-weekly to discuss issues related to mental and physical health
in a safe and nurturing environment. A facilitator through the University of Iowa College of Nursing develops
small educational sessions, and the majority of the time is spent through discussion and other forms of active
participation. Examples of themes that have been discussed are nutrition, stress management, and sexual
health. Through the “We Belong” project funding, we have paid for food and childcare for the women attending.
This fall our families were able to experience our first “Iowa City Social Outing” held at Film Scene. We
had 60 individuals attend, with most attendees being families. Through the “We Belong” project funding, we paid
for the discounted tickets and food associated with the event.
A Back-to-School Event was held for Open Heartland families at the Iowa Children’s Museum in
October. At this event, students ranging from preschool through college were able to acquire winter coats and
athletic shoes. School supplies and backpacks had been previously distributed at August events held in five
different mobile home communities and on site at Open Heartland. Through the “We Belong” project funding, we
paid for the discounted tickets, food associated with the event, and school and family photos of attendees.
Open Heartland
SJRE Q1 Report
Page 2 of 2
Expenses
“We Belong” expenses from July 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022
ITEM BUDGET EXPENSE
Educational Materials $3,875 $33.08
Supplies $1,300 $1,636.26
Expense for Cultural Experiences $1,000 $1,335.14
Professional Services, Internet $170 $750
Total . $6,345 $3,754.48
Future Activities
We will be expanding our English Language classes due to increased interest from our families by
adding a second class on Thursday afternoons. At the moment, we do not pay our instructors for these classes;
however, we have identified another community volunteer who will be starting in February 2023. In addition, we
will be developing a method in which our students will be able to utilize Duo Lingo to practice their English from
anywhere!
A Spanish-English bilingual adult library is being planned for completion in March 2023. Books of varying
difficulty and genres will be available for check out by Open Heartland families. We will also be gauging interest
in having a book club with our families, in which these books will be available to them free of charge.
Our second “Iowa City Social Outing” is being planned for April 2023, where our families will be able to
have a guided tour of the museums in downtown Iowa City. These museums include the University of Iowa
Museum of Natural History, Old Capitol Museum, Stanley Museum of Art, and the University of Iowa Biology
Greenhouse. We plan on collaborating with managers of these facilities to coordinate an item for our scavenger
hunt in order to keep younger members entertained throughout the tour.
In addition, we will meet with our Open Heartland Leadership Team to plan at least two additional
cultural field trips in the community that are selected by the families we serve. At least one of these events will
be held during Spring Break when many youth are home alone while their parents work.
We will continue to assist adults who are studying for their U.S. citizenship and are planning to launch a
GED study group to assist Open Heartland adults in gaining their high school diplomas.
Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
319-356-5022
January 12, 2023
To Whom it May Concern,
Whereas the Iowa City Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission has received a letter with
the subject "Re: Ongoing racial discrimination towards Indigenous Peoples sanctioned by the
City of Iowa City and the Iowa City Community School District;"
The Commission recommends that the City of Iowa City and ICCSD support the requests made
by members of our Indigenous community in this letter. These requests include but are not
limited to
- funding the provision of more educational resources to teaching staff in ICCSD, such as the
book "Rethinking Columbus,"
- providing annual anti-racism training to educators and city officials for better understanding of
Indigenous Peoples, and
- planning and enacting a community celebration for Indigenous Peoples Day.
The Commission also recommends that City officials and ICCSD leaders meet with the letter
writers for more collaboration on how best to execute these actions, so as to include input from
Indigenous community members moving forward.
Sincerely,
The Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Indigenous Community Members of Iowa City
412 Kimball Road
Iowa City, IA 52245
Phone: (319) 331-8034
Email:sikowis@greatplainsaction.org
Monday, December 5, 2022
Ruthina Malone, President, ICCSD Board of Education
Laura Gray, Executive Director of Diversity & Cultural Responsiveness, ICCSD
Matt Degner, Superintendent, ICCSD
Bruce Teague, Mayor, City of Iowa City
Chasity Dillard, Chair, Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Iowa City Human Rights Commission
Re: Ongoing racial discrimination towards Indigenous Peoples sanctioned by the City of
Iowa City and the Iowa City Community School District
Dear Leaders of the City of Iowa City and the Iowa City Community School District,
We, the Indigenous Community Members of Iowa City, are writing to demand change in City and
School District policy concerning the treatment of Native American Indigenous Peoples. It is the
duty of our schools to educate our children with truth and compassion as well as the duty of this
city to stand for justice and end racism. When our children are taught false narratives in school
and activities sanctioned by the city it is doing them harm. When they are exposed to
disrespectful behavior, that behavior is normalized.
We appreciate that the School District and Iowa City has every intention of providing for all its
students and citizens and is not actively seeking to engage in anti-Indigenous activities, but
unfortunately it is. The problem is that a non-Indigenous framework is inadequate for fully
understanding the impact of certain beliefs, actions, and behaviors on children within the school
system and those that live in Iowa City. Furthermore, it is not just Native children that are
harmed by anti-Indigenous racism, all children are wronged by exposure to it. In recognizing
that the exposure to racism is something that is harmful to all children, it should be clear that the
work of rooting out racism is work we should be actively focusing on. Because much of the
racism we need to address is racism of ignorance, not malice and a first step will involve
illuminating instances of racism that might not be recognized as such. White supremacy is
effective because it is really good at hiding itself. It has embedded itself in our (American)
culture, our language, and our social structures. Deeply entrenched as it may be, white
supremacy must be eradicated. Because it harms everyone.
Here is a list of recent accounts of racism within the City and School District:
1. a) Testimony by Eloisa Roach
In the 2019-2020 school year, the first assignment for my American Studies class was to
“design a colony.” We were told that it was set in the year 1620 in order to not have to deal with
issues of slavery, which is obviously not historically accurate, but the reasoning my teacher
gave. When I expressed discomfort with the idea of creating a colony in which we would have to
steal Native land in order to create it, my teacher said that the land was already settled and that
land theft was not an issue. Again, this is not historically accurate. I decided to advocate against
it strongly and was given an alternative assignment.
Throughout the following week as my white and non-Native classmates were working on this
assignment, many would loudly make comments about how a solution to deal with “the Indian
problem” was to kill them. They would do this only when around me and laugh when I got visibly
upset. I did not feel comfortable talking to my teacher about this and these same classmates
would continually make derogatory comments that went unaddressed by my teacher throughout
the year, even when he was aware of them. I recall frequently hearing my teacher telling
students off for talking during his lectures but he never discussed the blatantly discriminatory
things they were saying.
I thought that the assignment was confined to my classroom, as my teacher had developed
those materials more than 20 years ago, but later that year my friends in other classrooms,
including SEJH’s CASTL program also participated. My friends attempted to band together to do
an alternative assignment, but were unable to due to their teachers. Those friends' parents
decided to not get involved so they were required to do the assignment or take a zero on a
major assignment. I do not know if this assignment is still being utilized at SEJH, but the
ignorance and reluctance to change that it demonstrated are a part of a larger problem.
1. b) Testimony by Eloisa Roach
In American Studies 8th grade, the same class discussed above, during the week we learned
about Indigenous peoples of North America, my classmates would loudly and incorrectly imitate
traditional/powwow singing. When I told them to stop, as it was incredibly culturally insensitive,
my teacher told us both to be quiet. Throughout that week, the same people would mock the
ceremonial and cultural songs, without interruption from the teacher. We continued to watch a
stereotyped and inaccurate video about the five tribes he decided were relevant and
representative of Indigenous people. One of those tribes was my own and I knew that there
were many things that he discussed and taught us that were inaccurate or overgeneralized,
such as our ceremonial practices and removal history. However, I felt deeply uncomfortable
discussing the issues with anyone. This was because when my family and I attempted to reach
out to the school admin, they either would say they were working on it and not provide any
information about the process, eventually not replying to emails. Other times the admin would
respond saying it was out of their hands because they did not oversee curriculum.
1. c) Testimony by Eloisa Roach
During the 2020-2021 school year, my AP U.S. History teacher began his first lesson with a
slideshow describing why colonizers perceive Native Americans as inferior. There was incredibly
limited information given on Native peoples, with the primary focus being on colonial
perceptions. The very first piece of information offered about Indigenous People was an
estimate that there were 2-6 million of us prior to colonization throughout all of the Americas.
Most modern sources point this number to be closer to 60-100 million in North America alone.
This type of misinformation about Indigenous people continued throughout the class.
1. d) Testimony by Eloisa Roach
On December 6th, 2022, my teacher used a slur against Inuit people in order to make a
derogatory joke about their experience as arctic Indigenous people. When my friends and I
called her out on it, she removed the joke but refuted any wrongdoing. Later in that same class
she engaged me in an over 15 minute conversation that lasted until the end of the period about
me being overly “defensive.”
2. a) Testimony by Marie Krebs
In October 2019, I signed my son up to play football with the RedZone League here in Iowa City.
He was assigned to the Redskins team. Redskin is a racial slur used against Indigenous
peoples. I reached out by email and phone to discuss this with someone at the League. I was
completely ignored. No one responded. I spent a football season not knowing how to cheer for
my son’s football team, sitting through people yelling racial slurs. This month, I was sent a video
of a performance at a local school showcasing an act in which students were guided to perform
what was supposed to be Native American music and dance. The children had been instructed
to drum and chant sounds. Non-Indigenous people playing Indian is a mockery of ceremonial
ways. After the colonial invasion, legislation had to be passed in order for these ceremonies to
be held by each nation. The American Indian Religious Freedom Act was passed in 1978.
3. a) Testimony by Sikowis Nobiss
On November 16, 2022 I was so excited to see my daughter perform at Shimek Elementary as it
concerned the Frybread book that they had been reading, which is about Indigneous culture and
food. The illustrator had even come to Iowa City to do a reading for all the Iowa City School
District First and Second Graders. As an Indingeous parent with Indigenous children I was
surprised at first as there has never been anything like this in Iowa City since my children have
been a part of the system that uplifted our culture like this. I dressed my daughter in her ribbon
skirt, braid and hair ties with pride only to be disappointed and disrespected. I had to watch the
children “play Indian'' by enacting our sacred drumming practices while singing gibberish and
dancing into the room like they were in a powwow. Immediately after the event was over, I
asked the teacher where she got this idea from and she told me that she had Native American
friends in Chicago–I didn't even know how to respond as that is a non-answer.
After further investigation, the Shimek Principle,Chris Pisarik confirmed that the teacher had
also reference a book where she learned to drum, sing whatever came to mind and dance.
Please see the attached screenshots of the pages she referenced from the book Moving Within
the Circle,by Bryan Burton.The excuse was that the book was written by a Native American
person, but just like all populations, Indigenous Peoples also vary and not everyone is working
to make things better for our cause. Also, just because something is written in a book, it does
not mean it is legitimate and/or meant for white folks to emulate. My daughter and Chris Pisarik
also confirmed that the children watched a powwow video to learn how to dance. Firstly,
drumming is sacred and like a prayer. Folks that sit a grandfather drum need to be in a certain
mental state and place in life so they can pray this way. To see children sing gibberish words
and smack sticks on a snare drum and some big plastic play drum was hard to watch. There
was also dancing whereby the children danced on to the gym floor like they were doing Grand
Entry at a powwow, which bothered me as well, because all our dances mean something and
this was erasing the meaning and cultural importance of these dances. To truly make a point,
my co-parent said, 'how would they feel if Native kids went up on stage and mocked a catholic
mass ceremony?’
As a commissioner on the Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Executive
Director of Great Plains Action Society, I am an expert in matters of racist acts towards
Indigneous folks such as tokenization, romanization,Playing Indian, erasure, and violence. In
fact, I consulted with the ICCSD Diversity & Cultural Responsiveness Committee on February 16,
2022 and told them I was available to consult. I also told them to buy the book recommended
below for teachers. The fact that teachers know that they have access to this committee who
has access to Indingeous experts like myself with children at the school in question is upsetting.
Are teachers not required to consult with this committee before stepping into such tricky
territory? I find this unbelievable and ask that the demands below be granted.
3. b) Testimony by Sikowis Nobiss
When my son was in preschool or Kindergarten at Shimek Elementary, which is about seven
years ago now, I told the teacher that I would take my son out on days that mythologies of
Thanksgiving and Columbus might be taught, I also mentioned that I would not be ok with
children wearing costumes that mock Indigneous regalia. Every year, I give my kid’s teacher the
book Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years so they can teach about Indigenous histories
and issues properly. Unfortunately, when I went to pick up my son during the Thanksgiving
season, I noticed that the teacher had made a felt board with velcro laminated pieces of paper
that had pictures of pilgrims, Indians, tipis and tomahawks. She was teaching them the false
mythology about Thanksgiving after I had told her not to do this with my son present. This is the
type of racism that is Insidious and sanctioned by the state and the school system itself and it is
what causes continued violence and erasure of my people. I made a complaint but nothing was
done about it. Please read the Letter to the Editor that I wrote in 2016 for Little Village.
3. c) Testimony by Sikowis Nobiss
I took a look at my son's Social Studies textbook when he was in fourth grade and it described
the building of a city, which I think was either Seattle or San Francisco. The book started with a
ship showing up to Shore and building on empty land. Of course we know this is false and it is
another attempt to whitewash and erase the history and Legacy of indigenous peoples on this
continent. This is what I would consider, propaganda that is being instilled in our children’s
minds so that they will grow up and do the same thing. I complained about this and nothing was
done about it.
4. a) Testimony by Alicia and Daniel Velasquez
On November 17, 2022 at Mann Elementary School a tokenizing incident occurred that mocked
Indigenoius culture. At the end of enacting the book, they played Native American powwow
music (with drumming and singing) and the kids were encouraged to move their bodies to music
like an interpretive dance. This is problematic because there is a specific way based on long
held cultural and traditional beliefs in how we dance to certain songs and a “white’ interpretation
is offensive and, again, taking things into their own hands. The teacher said she sent numerous
emails to local Indigenous folks asking for consultation, but this is a problematic answer as the
City of Iowa city School District has a Diversity & Cultural Responsiveness Committee that is
accessible to all teachers and staff. Furthermore, Sikowis Nobiss, Executive Director, Great
Plains Action Society, had consulted with them months prior on how to better for Indigenous
children in the district so they were well aware that consultants are readily available.
++++++
End of Testimony
We understand that these events and ongoing behaviors are a result of ignorance due to
racism, erasure, whitewashing and stereotyping, but we are letting the City of Iowa City and The
Iowa City School District know that, as of right now, institutionalized racism towards Indigenous
Peoples will no longer be tolerated.
By no longer tolerated, we mean that we demand that all teachers and affiliated teaching staff
receive the book,Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years. This teaching resource can be
used for K-12 and “the new edition has over 100 pp. of new material, including a role-play trial of
Columbus, materials on Thanksgiving Day, resources, historical documents, poetry, and more. It
will help readers replace murky legends with a better sense of who we are and why we are here
-- and celebrates over 500 years of the courageous struggles and lasting wisdom of native
peoples.” If this is something that the school board cannot afford, we are willing to go to the truth
and reconciliation commission for the funding or to another source in Iowa City.
We also want anti-racism training specifically for understanding Indigenous Peoples and their
cultures and how to properly interact with them. We would like this to occur annually for ICCSD
staff and teachers as well for the City of Iowa City staff and supervisors. We would also like to
see Iowa City invest in a proper Indigenous Peoples Day celebration in the same way they
invest in Junteenth or Latino Fest. Furthermore, the Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation
Committee was set up to hear from folks like us and it cannot do so if it is continually being
undermined by city politics. We would like the City of Iowa City to fast track the TRC budget so
consultants can start the Truth and Reconciliation process that we deserve.
Iowa City Indigenous Community Members
Sikowis Nobiss
Plains Cree/Saulteaux, George Gordon First Nation
Executive Director, Great Plains Action Society
Commissioner, Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Eloisa Roach
Shawnee Tribe/sawanooki
Student, City High School
Marie Krebs
Apache
Commissioner, Iowa City Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Jessica Engelking
Descendant of White Earth Band of Ojibwe
Representation Director, Great Plains Action Society
Alicia Velasquez
Chiricahua Apache
Owner, House of Dotł'izhi in Iowa City
Daniel Velasquez
Pascua Yaqui
Owner, South Side Street Foods in Iowa City
Excerpt from Moving Within the Circle, by Bryan Burton as referenced in Sikowis
Nobiss’ testimony 3. a
Excerpt from Moving Within the Circle, by Bryan Burton as referenced in Sikowis
Nobiss’ testimony 3.
Class project referenced in Eloisa Roach’s testimony 1. a
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
January 24, 2023
Barbara Wilson, PhD
President, University of Iowa
president@uiowa.edu
Brooks Jackson, MD, MBA
Dean, Carver College of Medicine
Brooks-jackson@uiowa.edu
Edith A. Parker, MPH, DrPH
Dean, College of Public Health
Edith-parker@uiowa.edu
Sara Sanders, PhD
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Sara-sanders@uiowa.edu
Liz Tovar, PhD
Executive Officer & Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Elizabeth-tovar@uiowa.edu
Dear President Wilson, Dean J. Brooks, Dean Parker, Dean Sanders, & Executive Officer Tovar:
We, the undersigned, are writing to express serious concern about Facebook comments
made by a tenured faculty member of 28 years, Clarence “Clare” Kreiter, professor of Family
Medicine at the Carver College of Medicine. As shown below in exhibit 1-3, Professor Kreiter
made public, racially biased comments in response to an event held during UI’s Martin Luther
King Jr. Celebration of Human Rights Week on Wednesday, January 18th, 2023, around 2 pm.
Presumably on university time during the second day of classes?
It was disheartening to see the public comments made by Professor Kreiter. As faculty,
students, and staff who care about the well-being of our UI community with the broader goals of
diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind, we write to demand an immediate suspension, public
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
apology, and formal investigation as outlined in Operations Manual chapters 3.3 - 3.6 on Human
Rights.
We believe Professor Kreiter’s actions to be a breach of the following policies included in the
University of Iowa Staff Operations Manual:
VIOLATION 1: (16.2) “Staff members will adhere to ethical standards of professional conduct
and act in a manner consistent with the University's mission and core values for excellence,
learning, community, diversity, integrity, respect, and responsibility”.
VIOLATION 2: (8.2) “The University of Iowa values diversity among students, faculty, and
staff, and regards equal employment opportunity and affirmative action as tools to achieve
diversity. The University believes that a rich diversity of people and the many points of view
they bring serve to enhance the quality of the educational experience at The University of Iowa.”
For background on the incident in question, the documentary JustUs was created by Cedric B.
Theus and Maya Ben-Shahar to highlight the efforts of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and activists in
reforming the criminal justice system and ending the racial disparity in sending Black Americans
to prison in Iowa. The screening was shown at the Boyd Law Building on January 18th
In this post on Facebook, the initial comment made by Prof. Kreiter offered his opinion
on addressing bias in incarceration to the JustUs Documentary page, stating that “we must first
be honest about group difference in behavior repertoires.” In response to comments made by the
JustUs Documentary page, Kreiter further suggested that the disparities in the criminal justice
system are caused by individual actions, alluding to Black and Brown individuals needing
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
“civics lessons on appropriate interactions with law enforcement” to “[take] responsibility for
behavior.” The moderators of the page rightfully asked Kreiter if he came to his conclusion by
watching the film and/or through personal experience. This question was ignored by Kreiter,
suggesting a lack of willingness to acknowledge the lived experiences of Black and Brown
individuals as evidence against his claim which baselessly places blame upon victims rather than
perpetrators of racist behavior.
It is ironic that Professor Kreiter chose to post these hateful remarks during an event
celebrated in memory of Dr. King. Dr. King fought for anti-discrimination, equal rights, and
abolition during the civil rights movement. These comments felt purposeful and planned to
directly combat the messages of Dr. King, a man whose birthday is celebrated each year at the
University of Iowa as a prized tradition since 1969. To quote Martin Luther King Jr., whom this
event was held for, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort
and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
This post, however, is not the first time that Professor Kreiter has made discriminatory
remarks on his very public platform. On his publicly accessible Facebook profile, where he lists
his credentials as a professor at The University of Iowa and a former Fulbright Visiting Professor
at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, he has a long history of offensive and harmful posts. On
August 31st, 2020 (exhibit 4), he stated “tomorrow’s lesson will be on generalizing from small
biased sensationalized samples,” regarding an infographic by Nature - one of the world’s most
cited scientific journals - with which he appears to disagree without the basis of supporting
evidence.
In another post from September 24th, 2020 (exhibit 5), he wrote, “it takes a minimum
amount of intelligence to figure out and cooperate with legal structures that keep us civilized,”
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
once again placing the blame of police brutality on innocent Black and Brown individuals as
well as making the heinous claim that said individuals are “uncivilized.” These are only a few of
the many past examples of Prof. Kreiter expressing hateful and discriminatory sentiments on his
Facebook profile that may be viewed without the process of adding him as a Friend.
Furthermore, he publicly lists himself as a faculty member of The University of Iowa, an
institution that claims to not stand by harmful comments that Professor Kreiter has posted for
several years. Further evidence of discriminatory rhetoric is documented below in exhibits 6-7.
In addition to his remarks on Facebook, a 2018 article by Professor Kreiter in the Iowa
City Press Citizen, entitled “Understanding discrimination and the suppression of free speech in
academia,” further reveals his opinions on the exclusion of race-related data in most research
studies in the educational psychology field. He argues that race is an “innate factor... that might
explain and address the variation in learning and achievement across groups,” and that “if we
insist every racial group must be equal in all quantitate and qualitative aspects of their identity,
then in everything where real differences exit, we will see prejudice and injustice.” Kreiter does
not provide data in this article to support these claims that academic achievement stems from
inherent biological differences between individuals of different races. Rather, he claims that his
point of view is intentionally suppressed by “accusations of racism.”
The harrowing language of this statement clearly reflects eugenics philosophy, as the
Professor of Family Medicine is suggesting the inherent academic inferiority of individuals of
color. This calls into question how he might treat students of color in his own classrooms, how
he might educate his students to treat others, and what kind of language he might use in his
official position as a professor at the University of Iowa. Even more concerning is the fact that he
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
is easily identifiable as an authority figure, subjecting him to university policy in his personal
life.
Considering Professor Kreiter’s pattern of discriminatory actions and rhetoric on both his
public Facebook page, 2018 article and research—we write to demand an immediate suspension,
public apology, and formal investigation of a breach of the Operations Manual as we believe
Kreiter is in violation of “respect[ing] the diversity of individuals in the workplace and... the
differences among them.”
Additionally, we have found that the University of Iowa students sometimes require
thorough background checks and are warned to be careful with their online language and
behavior. It is reasonable to expect our professors to be held to these same standards. This is
especially true when the professor in question is associated with Family Medicine education and
services, as he is currently able to influence future medical professionals as they start their
careers in an increasingly globalized, racially diverse world.
With these issues in mind, we respectfully reach out to you with our concerns about
Professor Kreiter and demand action be taken.
Signed respectfully,
Coalition to Abolish Prison Slavery (CAPS) at UI
Change U-Iowa English
ATTACHED EVIDENCE:
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 1
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 2
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 3
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 4
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 5
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 6
PUBLIC LETTER CONDEMNING COMMENT MADE BY PROFESSOR CLARENCE
KREITER: CALLING FOR SUSPENSION AND INTERNAL INVESTIGATION
To sign onto this letter, fill out the form at https://forms.gle/63454LXtUYG7zrs4A
Exhibit 7