Bo French made a racist comment and UT students, alumni did not like the university’s measured response.
Because he is a candidate for political office, young told Texas Monthly that Zamora advised that they should not mention French in the resolution. Texas Monthly reported that Dean Young, a member of the UT Student Government, drafted a message condemning Bo French.
“Recent public comments attributed to Bo French have generated discussion and concern among members of the University community regarding the treatment and representation of South Asian students,” Young wrote in one draft. Zamora cited a prohibition on political speech by university-sponsored organizations and said French’s comments had by then sparked a much larger debate that should be the focus of the resolution. “It’s not just Bo French who is saying these things,” Young recalled being told.
“Student Government stands with all students, regardless of race, as proud Longhorns. The resolution was sponsored by a bipartisan group of eleven other student government representatives, including one affiliated with the campus chapter of the conservative Turning Point USA. But a few days after filing the resolution for consideration by the broader student government body, Young was contacted by Jennifer Zamora, the new faculty adviser to student government. “All over social media, there is hate about South Asians. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
“I heard UT graduation this year looked like this,” French, the Republican running for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, wrote in a post featuring a photo of the students. A month later, Republican leader Bo French posted a racist comment targeting Indians and expressed how unapologetic he was; details emerged about how the students reacted and how they wanted the university authorities to issue a stern reply immediately, but then all they got was a measured statement that did not even have Bo French’s name. “I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”The students were Indian-origin US citizens.