{"id":27327,"date":"2020-06-17T12:25:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/philip.greenspun.com\/blog\/?p=27327"},"modified":"2020-06-09T16:30:42","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T20:30:42","slug":"perfect-illustration-of-the-less-is-more-principle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philip.greenspun.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/17\/perfect-illustration-of-the-less-is-more-principle\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect illustration of the “Less is More” principle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“UCLA lecturer’s job in jeopardy after refusing ‘accommodations’ for black students”<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University of California-Los Angeles Lecturer Gordon Klein faces an online petition that asks UCLA to terminate his employment, following an email he allegedly sent to a student regarding “special treatment” for black students in light of the George Floyd protests.<\/p>

The viral petition, signed by nearly 20,000 people, claims Klein\u2019s \u201cblatant lack of empathy and unwillingness to accommodate his students during a time of protests speaks to his apathetic stance on the matter.\u201d<\/p>

UCLA Anderson School of Management spokeswoman Rebecca Trounson confirmed to Campus Reform that Klein is “on leave from campus and his classes have been reassigned to other faculty.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What the accounting expert do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks for your suggestion in your email below that I give black students special treatment, given the tragedy in Minnesota,\u201d Klein\u2019s email read, according to the petition. \u201cDo you know the names of the classmates that are black? How can I identify them since we’ve been having online classes only? Are there any students that may be of mixed parentage [sic], such as half black-half Asian? What do you suggest I do with respect to them? A full concession or just half? Also, do you have any idea if any students are from Minneapolis? I assume that they probably are especially devastated as well.\u201d<\/p>

Klein\u2019s email continued, \u201cI am thinking that a white student from there might be possibly even more devastated by this, especially because some might think that they’re racist even if they are not. My TA is from Minneapolis, so if you don’t know, I can probably ask her. Can you guide me on how you think I should achieve a ‘no-harm ‘outcome since our sole course grade is from a final exam only? One last thing strikes me: Remember that MLK famously said that people should not be evaluated based on the “color of their skin.” Do you think that your request would run afoul of MLK’s admonition?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He\/she\/ze\/they would still have a job if he\/she\/ze\/they had followed the “less is more” principle by responding with the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for your suggestion.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(first four words of the above actual response)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related:<\/p>\n\n\n\n