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Nigaleian --- a A comment using the term "nigger" made by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neologism neologismstudio art]] which combines the words nigger and Laleian --- describes the 2004 scandal involving Associate Professor of Art professor [[Aida Laleian]], Associate (then Assistant) Professor of Art to studio art professor [[Laylah Ali]] '90 and the use of the term "nigger" at an Art a department meetingin Spring 2004 was the spark for a number of events of campus-wide publicity and importance that, together, are probably rightly called a scandal.

For the most partThe incident was first drawn to students' attention by an email from President [[Morton Owen Schapiro]], containing a preface announcing the facts beginning of what would be called the scandal are not in dispute. At [http://www.ephblog.com/archives/001142.html [Diversity Initiative]]s, delivered a meeting] of the Art Department (it is not clear if this meeting included professors communication from then Acting Dean of art history as well as studio art)Faculty, Laleian[[Bill Lenhart]]. Lenhart's text stated that a professor had

raised a concern about the status of her own field of professional work relative to the fields of the others. At one point, she made a heated statement to the effect that she did not want her field to be "used as a nigger."(email to williams-students from Schapiro, Sep 10 2004)

Present at the meeting was Assistant Professor of Art [[Laylah Ali]] '90. Ali is African-American. Professor of Art Ed Epping [http://www.williamsrecord.com/wr/?section=news&view=article&id=5847 claimed Lenhart stated that] <blockquote>“All of he had investigated the faculty who witnessed what happened at incident and imposed sanctions on the meeting were stunnedoffending professor,” said Ed Epping, professor of art. “The force of the statement directed at Professor Ali whose identity was such that there was no way for Professor Ali announced to remain the community in the room.” Epping is an email from Lenhart on sabbatical in New York this semester, but was in attendance at the department meeting last spring23rd. When asked if he He announced then as well that a discrimination grievance had been troubled by any filed. On November 1st, the public misconceptions portion of the incidentproceedings were officially concluded in two emails from Laleian, Epping said, “What I believe is not being discussed as fully as is required...is the vehemence with which this phrase was spoken one to Ali and one to the directness of its intent.” It may read otherwise on paper, he said, but “the word ‘nigger’ was not used in that situation as a metaphorcommunity at large.” </blockquote>

It is not clear whoThe event generated a high volume of public discussion of the incident and more generally of issues of tolerance and diversity at Williams. The Committee on Community and Diversity, other than Eppingthe Multicultural Center, Laleian and Alithe office of Human Resources were formally asked by Schapiro to contribute guidance to wise development from the matter. Informally, discussion was widespread among students at the meetingevent's outset, most publicly on [http://wso.williams.edu/blogs WSO blogs] and [http://www.ephblog.com Ephblog].