(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas L. Keon says he made a mistake when he made an off-the-cuff comment during Saturday morning’s commencement ceremony.
It started this way: Keynote speaker Jim Dedelow, owner of WJOB radio in Hammond, had mentioned a made-up language he sometimes uses on-air. He referred to it as “Ishkamuhloofka,” which he sometimes uses to soothe his granddaughter if she’s crying.
A baby in the audience started crying during Dedelow’s speech, to which he responded in his made-up language.
“Just try that,” he advised. “Go in the shower and make up a fake language and then use it on your kids, it works great.”
Chancellor Keon took the podium. He extemporaneously shared his take on the language, speaking in what appeared to be a mock-Asian accent.
Keon and the university later issued a written apology, saying the comment was “offensive and insensitive.”
“We are all human. I made a mistake, and I assure you I did not intend to be hurtful and my comments do not reflect my personal or our institutional values. In the true spirit of diversity and inclusion that is a cornerstone of PNW, I will learn from this and assure you that Purdue Northwest and I will take action to prevent such missteps from occurring in the future.”
Keon says he’s directed an interdisciplinary team to better understand issues important to the university’s Asian American Pacific Islander community and plans to meet with members of the Student Government Association.
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