Columbia University has suspended its psychiatry department head after he referred to a Black fashion model as a “freak of nature” in a tweet.
NBC News reports that Jeffrey Lieberman shared an image of Nyakim Gatwech and wrote that “Whether a work of art or freak of nature she’s a beautiful sight to behold.” Gatwech, who is of South Sudanese descent, called the comments “straight up racism.”
“Coming from somebody with so much power, that was so disappointing,” she told NBC New York.
Since the tweet, Lieberman has been removed as psychiatrist-in-chief at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, in addition to his suspension as psychiatry department chair, an email obtained by the publication reveals. Lieberman had quote-tweeted a post claiming Gatwech set a Guinness World Record for having the “darkest skin ever seen on earth,” which Gatwech addressed on Instagram as false and said she “can’t imagine it’s even possible to know who’s the lightest or darkest person on the planet.”
“I believe this has been impacting my Instagram account negatively,” she wrote. “I have worked really hard to build my page and use it as a platform to promote self acceptance, body positivity, and of course, my brand partnerships, but it’s about self love above anything else. I don’t buy followers, and to those who believe otherwise, I do not need to manufacture lies for likes. It’s not my style. I love my dark skin and my nickname ‘Queen of Dark,’ but I’ve never said I’m the darkest person on earth.”
In an email to his coworkers, Lieberman apologized for the tweet, which he called both “racist and sexist” and something he was “deeply ashamed” of, NBC shares.
“An apology from me to the Black community, to women, and to all of you is not enough,” the email read. “I’ve hurt many, and I am beginning to understand the work ahead to make needed personal changes and over time regain your trust.”
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