Identity of Speakers
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Melissa Gomis
Faculty/Staff
OtherMelissa Gomis is the director of Doane University’s Perkins library, holding the rank of associate professor.
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Left wing -
Incident Responses:
Faculty sanctioned
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- No protest Occured
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
Melissa Gomis was the director of Doane University’s Perkins library, holding the rank of associate professor. In March 2019, Doane’s library staff curated an exhibit of historical photographs and other memorabilia from student scrapbooks housed in university archives. In late April, a student complained about two photographs in a display called “Parties from the Past.” The photos showed students attending a 1926 Halloween party, apparently in blackface. There was no accompanying note from the curators explaining why the photos were included.
After speaking with the concerned student, Gomis decided to remove the photographs “out of genuine concern for the student.” In late April, under orders from the provost, the entire exhibit was removed. The same day, Gomis was told that she was suspended for a week with pay. The American Association of University Professors stated that Gomis’s suspension was the consequence of a grievance complaint about the exhibit. As of June 1, 2020, Gomis was employed as associate professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
