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Petition Letter: Jaida Egboye
20168785
November 10, 2020

Appeal Letter; Reading Reflection 4 Gender 212

Dear Who it May Concern,

I am writing to you to appeal my reading reflection grade for Gender 212. I submitted the reflection on November 6 at 4:56pm and received my mark on November 7 at 7:51am. I was shocked on at how quickly I received my mark but even more surprised on my mark. I was awarded a zero score and very surprised as I complied with all the guidelines asked of me. Professor Lawford marked my reflection and gave me feedback in which I am challenging. The objective of the assignment is state your personal reflection on how the article made you feel and state your opinion, this I completed as instructed. I stated my opinion, the same way I did my other assignments which have been rewarded As and Bs. For me to be rewarded a zero is clearly due to the fact of my opinion and that of the professor did not agree. I should not be penalised for having a different opinion as my professor. Professor Lawford made several comments stating that I should have done present tense, I have done this assignment three times and was never told and or corrected.

For the overall feedback of the assignment Professor Lawford stated several things which I will be challenging and speaking on. Professor Lawford stated that she stopped reading my assignment as she believed it was hateful. There are several things wrong with what was stated. Firstly, Professors are meant to be objective. Meaning it is her duty to completely read my assignment before awarding a mark that will heavily affect my average in the course. Professor Lawford made the decision that she did not like what I said and did not give my reflection a chance. She did not completely finish reading it, and if she did she would have of seen that I stated that the creator of the Instagram page has a gift in which they spread body positivity which is the beginning of a generational change. My intention was not to be hateful, and I apologize if it came across in the manner. I simply was raising my concerns on the material. I am advocating for myself as I firmly believe I need a subjective individual to remark my assignment. It is clear that I deserve a much higher mark and this is a case of discrimination. I have been subjected to discrimination and no longer feel comfortable taking any of Professor Lawfords courses. Religious discrimination is a serious offence that I do not take lightly.

In my personal statement I stated that I believe that we should have been given a trigger warning and some sort of heads up as the Instagram made was made for a mature audience as the content was obscene photography such as partial nudity. Professor Lawford commented saying ¿¿Would you have felt the same way if the Ig account features images of white, thin women¿. This comment is a lot to digest. For starters, I never mentioned anything about race. I never said the persons race and or ethnicity made me uncomfortable, so for Professor Lawford to state otherwise is not only insulting but irrelevant. This comment institutes that I am racist and or bodist. I am a proud black woman, for Professor Lawford to state that I would feel more comfortable if the Instagram account features white women is extremely false and inaccurate. Being a person of colour, I would never feel more comfortable seeing all white woman. In fact, the Instagram account made me feel happy and of ease as it celebrated people of colour and discussed movements which pertained to people of colour in which I stated in my personal statement. I would never purposively attack another person of colour, I know what itI feels like. My goal of the paper was to state that the individual makes me uncomfortable as they made fun of my religion and that there are other ways to show body positivity. The creator used their platform to promote nudity in which they stated was body positivity. I raised the objection/question that the constant nudity is not the best way to go around showing body positivity. I stated that it did more harm than good, which was my opinion.I also stated that the Instagram account made me uncomfortable as it had mature content such as nipples. The account had several photographs of individuals nipples and Professor Lawford commented on my statement and asked, ¿¿Would you have felt uncomfortable if the nipples belonged to a man¿. Once again, I never stated that the nipples made me uncomfortable because it was on a certain gender, I stated that it made me uncomfortable which I have every right to be. Certain events and photos make people uncomfortable, that is life. In fact, there is a sciential fear of nipples called Mamilla phobia.

I believe if Professor Lawford was questioning my motives and intent with my assignment she should have of set up a meeting to further discuss instead of awarding me a zero.I believe professor owes me a sincere apology, for silencing me a minority and for not acknowledging the fact that I was left uncomfortable, triggered and disrespect on my faith.. I should not have to advocated for the discrimination, but I will as it is my duty as one of the very few black Christian people in this course. I respect Professor, but I believe this is a case of discrimination. My opinion differed from my professor and I was penalised for it.

Professor Lawford stated that she believes I should review the course code of ethics and re consider whether or not topics such as racism, colonialism and resistance align with my worldview, for Professor Lawford to illude that these topics do not align with my worldview is not only disrespectful but insulting.. Ethically speaking this is a case of discrimination. Ethically Professor Lawford has the duty to objectively and subjectively mark a paper regardless of the beliefs in which it states. I did not say anything deemed hateful, everything I stated I had facts to back it up. There are several things wrong with this statement. For professor Lawford to state or allude that these topics don¿¿t align with my worldview is irrelevant and unfair. I never stated anything racist, sexist or discriminatory. My previous assignments I have spoken on racism, colonialism and resistance and the impacts it has had on me being a person of colour. In fact I am a very educated person on these topics so for Professor to allude to the opposite is simply cruel, unfair and incorrect. I am only a second-year student and I am a part of several diversity clubs. I am the administrative officer for Queens Student Diversity project, I am the diversity Inclusion officer for the Sociology council and I am on the equity council of Sociology Department. All of these reflect who I am as an individual. I believe that no individual should be subjected to discrimination based on faith, colour, opinion and etc. As the diversity inclusion officer I have educated myself on the laws of diversity and the just way to go around it. Diversity is just not of race, it is of religious background in which I am. I did not use any slurs that can constitute to my reflection as hateful. I expressed my believes and are being punished for me. My reflection simply was not hateful, In fact I applauded the Instagram account calling it revolutionary, ground breaking and many more. So, for Professor Lawford to state that it was hateful is simply unfair and incorrect
Please find attached evidence of Professors Lawfords comments and remarks.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
-Jaida Egboye