Racism has long been one of the most damaging forces, shaping who gets opportunities, who feels welcome, and even who gets treated with basic respect. As a society, we have made progress over the years, but then something happens that makes it clear that these problems still run deep. In New York, a recent incident involving a college professor has reignited debate about bias in education and public life.
A college professor at Hunter College got caught making racist comments during a virtual Community Education Council meeting, as she didn’t realize her mic was still on. People heard her, and outrage spread fast.
According to Newsweek, this incident took place on February 10, during a hybrid meeting in Manhattan’s District 3. Families, teachers, and officials were all gathered to talk about closing or moving some local schools. An eighth grader from the Community Action School was sharing her worries, and that’s when it happened: a voice suddenly came through on Zoom. It turned out to be Allyson Friedman, an associate professor at Hunter College.
You could hear Friedman say, “They’re too dumb to know they’re in a bad school.” Then she went on: “If you train a Black person well enough, they’ll know to use the back. You don’t have to tell them anymore.” People on the call looked stunned. That’s when someone jumped in right away and said, “That was absolutely hearable” on the live feed.
After the video went viral, Friedman admitted it was her. She put out a statement saying she had been trying to explain systemic racism to her child, who was right there in the room. She said those comments came from that side conversation, and blamed the incident on accidentally unmuting herself.
Even after she tried to explain herself, elected officials, education leaders, and people in the community called her comments racist and really hurtful. The New York City Department of Education called her remarks offensive. Over at Hunter College, officials reportedly said they are looking into what happened and checking if she broke any conduct or nondiscrimination rules.
Meanwhile, on social media, people couldn’t believe a college professor would say something like that, and to Black students, during a school meeting of all places. A lot of people pointed out that, even with all the talk about awareness and diversity training lately, stuff like this keeps happening. Some folks even said it feels like these attitudes aren’t just lingering, they are coming back, which has a lot of people worried about how we talk to each other and how marginalized communities are treated right now.
Internet Reacts to New York Professor’s Racist Hot Mic Moment
The remarks quickly sparked outrage online, with many questioning why such language still surfaces. “Racists are really getting bold lately. Any reason for that?” one person wrote. Another added, “Still behaving like this in 2026! This is who she is and she can’t even hide or pretend!”
Some commenters reacted with sarcasm. “Republicans will have a GoFundMe with $100k for her by Friday smh,” one user said. Others wished the moment had played out longer. “Nah he shouldn’t have cut her off let her finish digging her grave,” a comment read. Another added, “She definitely had a lot more to say if that dude hadn’t interrupted her though.”
Several responses focused on accountability in education. “There’s no place in higher education for language that stereotypes or targets students based on race. Accountability isn’t optional…it’s the minimum standard,” one person wrote.
Another summed up the broader disappointment, adding, “Academia is supposed to teach minds how to think, not reveal how some people really think when they stop pretending.”
Racism still hangs over schools and universities, places that are supposed to open minds and help people grow. When things like this happen, they remind us, loud and clear, that fighting prejudice takes real work, and we can’t let our guard down.
