Students Upset, Teacher Sorry Over Assignment

October 29, 2009

BY SAMUEL RICHARD

MANAGING EDITOR

A local college teacher who asked students to draw a black man with a noose around his neck awaited word Oct. 28 on how he could be disciplined.

Los Angeles Trade Technical College teacher Bill Robles could be disciplined in various ways if officials found that Robles gave the homework assignment with malicious intent, but the primary option is to ask him to undergo sensitivity training, college President Roland “Chip” Chapdelaine said. 

Based on his initial review, Chapdelaine said he did not think Robles gave the assignment with malicious intent.

“He gave an assignment that was probably insensitive,” Chapdelaine said Oct. 26, adding he had to reserve final judgment until he conducted a full review.

Final decisions would not be disclosed, however, since the situation is a personnel matter, said Chapdelaine, who did not respond to an e-mail by presstime on Oct. 28 to confirm if an ultimate recommendation had been made.

Robles wouldn’t have to take training but only be recommended to do so, Chapdelaine said Oct. 26.

Although there are different levels, the training generally involves dialogue, exposure, understanding and discussion with people from different ethnic groups, Chapdelaine said, adding he could not speculate on future discipline.


Camelle Williams and other African American students walked out of class Sept. 16 because Robles passed out an image of a black man standing in his bare feet, pointing to the floor with one hand and holding a noose around his neck with the other.

Students in the Drawing II and Drawing III classes were given a different assignment the same day — a picture of a home, students said — but Williams still filed a complaint after talking to Robles.

“He was defending himself the whole time. He didn’t say he was sorry,” said Williams, who recently went before the L.A. Community College District’s board of trustees about the incident.

“He didn’t even acknowledge the noose,” she added.

Robles said he doesn’t remember exactly what he said that day but did not intentionally give the assignment as a racist gesture or to offend anyone. He added that he never associated the photo with any racist themes.

“In retrospect, I see it was an error in judgment,” Robles said.

Black students had an uproar over the image, he said, “and I can see their side of it, but I’m totally devoid of any of those (racist) feelings.”

“I did it in total innocence,” he added. 

[Home page of Bill Robles’ Web site, which highlights his work as a courtroom sketch artist.]

Home page of Bill Robles’ Web site, which highlights his work as a courtroom sketch artist.
Robles, a longtime courtroom sketch artist, has worked at Trade Tech for roughly 20 years.

Chapdelaine said he did not know of any other complaints filed against Robles in the past.

Robles said he picked the assignment — originally something he drew based on photos he saw many years ago in a magazine — because he felt students could apply drawing principles they learned in class with it. Students, he said, were complaining about not wanting to do certain assignments, so Robles said he wanted to give them an assignment that would be “stimulus” to the students. 

Robles said he never gave the assignment to students before. Chapdelaine and Williams, in separate interviews, said he did.

Raymond Baptist, a visual communications student who saw the illustration before it was passed out, refused to draw it.

“It was kind of shocking to me,” Baptist said. “He’s not even being considerate of people’s feelings.”

Virtually all the black students — about five in a room of roughly 30 — walked into a neighboring lab and told another teacher about the incident, according to some students.

“Everybody just came in mad, basically,” Baptist said.

Robles added that the picture — which he said was an intriguing pose and photo of Trinidadian artist and performer Geoffrey Holder — was considered a piece of art several years ago, wasn’t considered offensive, and appeared in a magazine.

Baptist said that doesn’t change his opinion about the photo “because people saw it for what it was … especially black students.”

“We see a black person with a rope around their neck,” he added. 

School officials held meetings, including one with Robles. An administration official also visited the class to evaluate Robles because of the incident, and not for a usual review, Chapdelaine said.  

Robles apologized to students several days later. The school also apologized in a letter “on behalf of the Arts Trades and Fashion Department” and the administration “for the lack of sensitivity in the Visual Communication assignment…” 

Williams said she didn’t accept Robles’ apology, but wants him fired, noting that she doesn’t have a personal problem with him. She said the situation should not be tolerated because racism shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere.

“He is only a symptom to a much bigger problem,” she said, also alleging that racism exists at the school.

Robles reiterated he is not racist, adding he would not have passed out the assignment if he was.

“I don’t know why somebody would want to tarnish a career spending all (these) 40 years with something like this,” he said, reiterating it was false that he meant to offend anyone.

“You’re worried about your 40 years. I’m worried about my 400 years (of slavery),” Williams said as a response. 

Later, Robles added, “In retrospect, I’ve had a sensitivity awakening.”

He said he was in “lala land” because he just didn’t think in racist terms when he saw the drawing, but is now more aware.

Nana Gyamfi, a lawyer and co-founder of L.A-based Human Rights Advocacy contacted by Williams, said she would help Williams get the word out about the situation.

People have the right to speak out, Gyamfi said.

“The damage has occurred,” she added, “whether the intent is there or not.”