No one will claim Eastern is the most diverse community in the world, or even in the state for that matter, but recent events have done nothing to encourage improvements in that reputation.

I’m referring to a student who is accused of making a racial slur directed at Tiffiny Yates, a senior speech communication major and teachers’ assistant. Yates claims a white male, who understandably wishes to remain anonymous, made a derogatory comment directed at her and has taken this young man to Judicial Affairs to get him expelled.

Does anyone else out there think expelling this young man is too much? Granted, what Yates claims the man said to her is unacceptable, but at this point it is her word against his. He claimed he quoted a line from the movie “Half Baked,” a pretty popular movie among college students, in a private conversation with a friend.

I will not repeat what was supposedly said, but from what The Daily Eastern News has reported so far, the young man was with a friend in the lobby of Taylor Hall when he allegedly made the racial slur that Yates heard.

I don’t see how in this era someone without provocation would say what he is accused of saying. I know when I’m talking with my friends I constantly quote lines from movies and television shows, which, if taken out of context, can be found extremely offensive. So I find the young man’s side of the story believable.

But there are several hypocrisies in how this young man has been treated. Yates helped organize a diversity rally conducted on the same day of his appearance before the Judicial Affairs Board, held outside of the room where the hearing was taking place. The three themes of the rally were “Unity, inclusion and understanding.”

How does trying to expel a student promote unity, inclusion and understanding? The only thing expelling this young man would promote is segregation, paranoia and anger.

Another hypocritical stance on this issue is this weekend’s entertainment. The rap artist Twista was on campus Saturday night.

The young man accused of making this racial slur said it once to a friend, and Yates repeated what he said to a group of 10-15 black students who were standing outside of Taylor Hall to see if they understood the reference to “Half Baked.”

Twista’s lyrics are littered with racially insensitive language. His song “Legit Ballin” uses the word nigger, or some other slang variation of the word, nine times. In “Mob Niggas Don’t Die,” he uses the word 19 times, but no one tried to kick Twista off campus.

Yates said she wants the young man to be expelled because of what the student handbook says. Under the policies and procedures section of the handbook, it lists incidents involving theft, inflicting bodily harm to self or others, dealing in controlled substances, possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, or possession of ANY amount of “hard” drugs (cocaine, PCP, etc) as examples of grounds for expulsion.

Expulsion might be justified under the Threats/Disruptive Conduct entry in the handbook, which states “threats and disruptive conduct will result in probationary status, along with full restitution for all damages, possible expulsion from the university housing and/or Eastern Illinois University.”

Furthermore, the young man’s speech is protected from any policy enforced by Eastern in the Bill of Rights.

The same amendment that gives me the right to publish this column, and you the right to respond with your opinion, protects this young man.

The First Amendment does limit hate speech, which is if the speech is determined to be fighting words or a verbal assault directed to a particular person. According to both versions of what happened between Yates and the young man, there was no direct threat being made.

A racial slur isn’t really a threat. However Yates telling the young man; “You’re lucky I’m the person I am because if I wasn’t, I’d kick your ass,” can be considered a threat. Yates also told the student, “we can either fight or go to Judicial Affairs.” One can even consider her repeating what he said to a group of 10-15 black students a threatening action.

Yates said if the young man isn’t expelled, “making him take a course on diversity or an African-American studies course” would be appropriate.”

That’s a much more reasonable solution apposed to expulsion.

Making the young man take a course on diversity or African American studies would promote unity, inclusion and understanding.

If Yates truly cares about those three themes, she should spend some time getting to know the young man she has accused of racial insensitivity.

Acceptance and understanding is a two-way street.

Race relations on Eastern’s campus will not improve until people realize one can’t expect to be accepted and understood unless one makes an effort to accept and understand others.