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Union renews calls to sack race row lecturer

Richard Garner
Sunday 30 October 2011 23:51 GMT
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Students at the London School of Economics have renewed their demands for the sacking of a lecturer who discussed in a blog "why black women are less physically attractive".

Dr Satoshi Kanazawa, a reader in the the department of management, has apologised after an internal inquiry ruled he had brought the school into disrepute, and barred him from teaching compulsory courses this academic year. In his blog he cited the findings of a study by University of North Carolina in which people were asked to rate the "physical attractiveness" of subjects.

The students' union claims the sanctions do not go far enough and passed a motion urging the university to dismiss him. It said his apology was only made after the review put him on the spot.

Dr Kanazawa's comments, posted on US website Psychology Today, went on to be used on neo-Nazi and white supremacist websites, bringing the union into disrepute, it claimed. General secretary Alex Peters-Day said the motion, passed 227 votes to 143, must now be addressed by LSE's academic board. "A lot of students feel let down by the university. It should accept it is embarrassing to be associated with him," she said.

The motion states on multiple occasions Dr Kanazawa published articles and research of "highly dubious academic quality". In his apology, he admitted he should have been more careful in selecting the title and the language he used to express his ideas.

An LSE spokesman said: "Disciplinary action has been taken and he has written a letter of apology. The school regards this matter as closed."

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