Centre students protest racial problems on campus; president's wife calls it a 'showboat'

A group of Centre College students have been protesting against racial problems at the school, demanding concrete actions to improve the Danville campus' climate.

Student gathered inside the Old Centre Building on Wednesday morning and stayed through the evening. President John Roush met with the students on Wednesday afternoon, and conversations are ongoing Thursday, said Centre spokesman Michael Strysick.

"Thoughtful and engaged conversations are continuing, and they are marked by respect and cooperation on the part of President Roush, student leaders, and members of our administration," Strysick said Thursday. "This is because everyone has the shared goal of sustaining the momentum we have in strengthening diversity and inclusion. "

The Danville Advocate Messenger reported that more than 100 students showed up and more than 400 had signed a petition related to a list of demands. Student leaders said there were numerous examples of racial slurs made by other students toward students of color that were swept under the rug by administrators.

A group of black students called WE issued a statement saying "WE realized that WE were facing similar issues regarding unmet needs, especially in regard to our safety on this campus — across departments,” the statement said. The group acknowledged that Centre College "has taken positive and important first steps toward meeting some of the unmet needs of marginalized students. The following demands are in the spirit of sustaining the momentum, increasing transparency and providing more intentional next steps in creating an inclusive environment. Thus, more accurately reflecting the compassionate, understanding and kind community that Centre College aims to be.”

The demands included an on-duty officer within the Department of Public Safety at all times, the "immediate firing" of a specific DPS employee accused of numerous instances of racial discrimination, the hiring of a full-time diversity inclusion director and a multicultural space on campus.

The Advocate Messenger also reported that in the midst of a four-hour meeting that Roush held with the students, his wife, Susie Roush, entered the meeting unexpectedly and criticized the students, accusing them of holding a "showboat" protest.

Mrs. Roush said she was angry that the students had not taken advantage of President Roush's open door policy before the protest.

“It’s a lack of respect and trust, and to me, it’s a showboat that you have to wait until you have some sort of some protest before you’re willing to sit down, and quite frankly, I think you ought to be ashamed of yourselves," the newspaper quoted her as saying.

When asked about her comments, Strysick told the Herald-Leader: "If you’ve had the privilege to meet Susie Roush, you know that she is a passionate person who cares deeply not just about Centre but all our students," he said. "She had hoped these important conversations had taken place earlier, in response to repeated invitations, and under different circumstances. Nonetheless, she is committed, as we all are, to always making Centre better and stronger."

This story was originally published May 3, 2018 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Centre students protest racial problems on campus; president's wife calls it a 'showboat'."