Louis Lebherz Disciplined by St. Mary's College for Telling Student to Sing 'Old Man River' With Racial Epithet

Louis Lebherz, instructor at St. Mary's College, punished for having student sing original version of 'Old Man River' with racial epithet.

St. Mary's College his punished Louis Lebherz, an instructor and brother of a trustee, after a black student complained he had a student sing the original version of the show tune "Old Man River," which refers to blacks as n-word -- "niggers work on de Mississippi; niggers work while de white folks play." The song contrasts the hardships of blacks and the struggle of the time to the endless flow of the Mississippi River, from the view of a dock worker on a showboat.

According to the Contra Costa Times, Lebherz had been ordered to apologize to the class and complete diversity training. Beth Dobkin, the college's provost, told the paper that his employment at the school had also been affected although she would not elaborate.

Lebherz has apologized for his "insensitivity" in a letter to the student. The incident comes as the college  is striving to improve  race relations following stinging criticism from accreditors. While I applaud the school for its zero-tolerance stance against racist behavior, shouldn't we hold the rappers and others who use the n-word as a regular part of their vocabulary to the same standard?

Watch the video of Paul Robeson singing "Old Man River" (2nd version)