Should I report my professor?

I would talk to the college councilor confidentialy first.

It’s totally inappropriate. Will any of the other students support you if you make a complaint? Otherwise it will be your word against his. Are tutorials/lectures recorded at your college/university?

You can also confidentially talk to the Head of School (or Deputy Head if that’s more appropriate). I think @RedDeerGuy1‘s suggestion about talking to a counsellor is not a bad idea. They can advise you on your university’s policy.

People/teachers can assume a level of irreproachable authority knowing that their audience is for the most part thoroughly intimidated by them. Do not ever think you cannot challenge their POV’s. If you suffer push back that interferes with your education because of your personal conflict with their stated views then pull the rip cord and find another university that aligns with your beliefs or suck it up and kiss ass.

They might support me. I think they would like to, but It’s hard to say because there are only 5 people in the class and two of them are grad students and he is their adviser (basically they are totally at his mercy for every aspect of their academic career. ) This class isn’t recorded, and even if was this was all said in a pretty obscure language and would have to be translated by someone who would probably also have to be from the department.

I am almost graduated so I am not super worried about repercussions against myself.

Such comments are vile, immature and certainly inappropriate for a classroom, however, you’d be challenging the first amendment nonetheless which is near impossible to overcome in a case of pure expression of opinion and you’ve made no indication that this professor directs any hateful jests at you in particular, so you don’t have a harassment case.

If you want to report him, the best approach is to petition your classmates, such as the Chinese student to submit written statements verifying that his comments make them uncomfortable.

A professor that provides an environment that not one or two but several students are unable to properly learn in is a much stronger case that the first amendment has less power in if not no power.

Though if you’re nearing your graduation I’d say whether or not it’s worth pursuing is dependent on how much longer you have at this school and to deal with this professor.

Talking to an academic adviser is a good first step, but also find out who the Dean of Students is and try to make an appointment with someone in their office. Keep in mind that not all universities use the same terminology, so the person who is called the Dean of Students at one school might be called the Dean of Academic Affairs or the Vice President of Undergraduate Studies or something like that.

If you have trouble figuring out who this person is, find a trusted professor (preferably one who teaches for a different department) and tell them you need help figuring out what the best way to deal with this issue is. You don’t have to tell this professor who you are having a problem with, but you can reassure them that the problematic professor is in a different department and just give them the outline of the problem.

Don’t accept excuses from the professor. He is supposed to be the expert. If he can’t make jokes in a foreign language that his students won’t misunderstand, then he shouldn’t be making them at all. He has a responsibility to speak as clearly and unambiguously as he can, especially since he is speaking in an unfamiliar language. And don’t worry about tenure. It’s not as invincible of a shield as most people seem to believe.

That said, don’t expect the university to just fire him right away. Removing someone from any job generally requires following a particular procedure, and no single complaint is likely to get a professor fired. But if you complain, and others complain, and then he continues to get complaints, they will add up to an indictment he cannot deny. So yes, it’s worth saying something. It could make the difference when the next person complains. And for all you know, he may already have a few complaints on file.

You should fire back, and make offhand racist jokes at his expense. Mix in some occasional overt mockery, too.

I would talk to someone in HR. Just let them know as a favor. That professor puts them at risk.

Those comments would make me very uncomfortable, its quite upsetting the comments he makes. What a total idiot.

Yikes….totally inappropriate. You could consider recording him on your cell phone before making any report if you’re worried about not being believed.

At a university, I would go to the Dean of that department or the Academic Vice President. This should not be happening but as @SavoirFaire says, nothing will happen quickly since he is tenured. He will probably not be fired but he could be made to stop.

I’d talk to my faculty advisor (or equivalent at your school). Find out what needs to be done. The professor might be put on a paid leave which would be a step in the right direction.

Holy shit! Yes, big deal. Record record, record. and report him. This is beyond the pale of racism. (yes, pun intended). He has no need to say those things and it is horribly exemplary of an bigot. You said it was a language class, so he can’t be representing the language or culture from which that language came from, with any sort of unlaboured position. He is a bigot, a racist and MUST be called out.

My wife has been a professor for 30 years at a major university in America. She said this behavior is highly inappropriate and you should report him to your advisor or to the dean of the college

Wowsa… That is pretty crazy.

If you are worried about being tied to recording/reporting him let me know. I would happily pass it on to the Dean so you couldn’t be identified.

You could fire a warning shot across his bows and ask him why he thinks it good there are no black actors in La La Land.

I would speak with the Department Chair—unless he is the department chair.