Campus Reform shares the disturbing case of a student at the University of South Florida (USF) who was denied access to a group therapy meeting because he is white.
According to the report, the student was unable to attend any of the planned “Understanding Self and Others” group therapy meetings due to conflicts with his schedule. He reached out to the schools counseling center to inquire about attending a BIPOC ( Black, Indigenous, and people of color) meeting that occurred at a time that worked with is schedule.
In the email sent to the counseling center, Davis inquired, “I am interested in attending a USO group meeting after completing the pre-group appointment but the only day/time that works for me is Wednesdays during the BIPOC students-only group. I am not a BIPOC student but was wondering if I would still be able to attend?”
“Unfortunately, we do need to keep this space specific to BIPOC folks … Hopefully you’ll be able to catch another one either during Winter break and/or next semester,” the USF Counseling Center responded to Davis.
After receiving this response, Davis filed a complaint with USF’S Office of Compliance & Ethics on Oct. 5. It was not until Feb. 8 of this year, however, that Davis received a response.
According to Davis, during an Oct. 18 Microsoft Teams information-gathering meeting regarding this issue, Equal Opportunity Officer Kenneth Thomas “was accusatory” and “asked me if I even knew what BIPOC meant and if I understood the importance of those groups having their own discussion.”
“He did not seem concerned about my complaint and was more worried about the University’s ability to continue these groups,” Davis relayed.
When the Office finally issued their official decision on Feb. 8, it read, “The Counseling Center will not prohibit any category of student [from] participating in specialized counseling groups unless specific exception, or a medical mandate is identified that may support exclusivity.”
Conservative activist Christopher Rufo recently exposed the extent that USF’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is pushing DEI and Critical Race Theory on its campus.
Rufo shared documents revealing that, “The University of South Florida has adopted a radical ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) program that claims America is a force for ‘white supremacy,’ encourages students to attend racially segregated counseling programs to address their ‘privilege’ and ‘oppression,’ and promotes a variety of left-wing causes, including ‘reparations,’ ‘defund the police,’ and ‘prison abolition.’”