Freedom of Speech Vs. O.S.U.

An Ohio State University (OSU) student leader is facing criticism after saying that he’d “love” to live in a world if “Black people were taught that they are superior.”

According to OSU’s student newspaper, The Lantern, On March 23, John Fuller, a junior, who was a member of the Ohio State University Undergraduate Student Government General Assembly at the time of the meeting, made comments while proposing resolutions targeting all anti-critical race theory legislation to the General Assembly.

1. “By taking away the teaching of one race as superior to another, that is inherently white supremacy because white people learn from birth that they are superior. There is nothing that they need to be taught in school that tells them that,” Fuller said.

“I just wanted to say that and make this very clear, the only people who are taught that they are superior to another race are White people,” Fuller said. “And I would absolutely love to live in a world where Black people were taught that they are superior.”

He added that he “full-heartedly” believes that Black people are superior.

OSU’s Undergraduate Student Government President, Jacob Chang, told the student newspaper The Lantern that Fuller’s comments were “diverging from our values.”

2. “The comments made during the General Assembly session is fundamentally, like, diverging from our values as the student government of Ohio State,” Chang said. “Therefore, it is our responsibility to report a case like this. I think we need to stand in solidarity with all people of color and anyone who suffers from racism, but we need to do it from a space that is unilaterally empowering everyone around them instead of like single out one group.”

Chang told the student newspaper that assembly senators have considered impeaching Fuller but said that Fuller’s last day in his position was Apr 6.

Members of the student government who were uncomfortable with Fuller’s comments reported the comments to the Office of Institutional Equity.

Although Fuller’s resolution against anti-critical race theory legislation passed, Chang said that Fuller’s theories were “another form of like supremacy,” adding that Fuller’s comments were “inherently racist.”

“No matter what race you are from, what background you are from, you cannot say stuff like that,” Chang said.

Fuller has not made any further statements.