The Chancellor of the school used a mock Asian accent during the ceremony.
There was an incident during the school's first ceremony. A clip of the moment was captured and posted online, where it has been viewed over 130,000 times.
The keynote speaker showed a few times a made-up language in his speech about speaking to his family.
The chancellor pointed out that Keon was an Asian version of what the keynote speaker did when he stood up and spoke into the mic. Faculty behind him laugh.
More from NextShark: Thanks for your civility.
The netizens accused Keon and the university of being racist.
A user shared an anecdote of a graduate student who experienced racism.
NextShark reached out to the university. Kris Falzone shared Keon's apology and the full graduation video for more context.
I made a remark that was offensive. Keon apologized for his sudden, off-the-cuff response to another speaker.
He went on to say that he recently announced the formation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative with the goal of promoting an open, respectful and welcoming culture.
I am directing this team to understand and address issues of importance to the Asian American Pacific Islander community at PNW and to offer concrete ideas that our university will act upon to ensure that our campuses are places that welcome and value all. I will have a meeting with members of the Student Government Association to discuss how to best address their concerns.
The school opened a multicultural lounge and welcomed the most diverse student body in the history of the school.
We are all humans. I made a mistake and my comments do not reflect my personal or institutional values. In the true spirit of diversity and inclusion that is a cornerstone of PNW, I will learn from this mistake and assure you that we will take action to prevent it from happening again.
Some people feel the apology never mentioned racism and that Keon should step down.
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