Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, head of the Psychiatry Department at Columbia University, was suspended on Wednesday, February 23, for his controversial and purported “anti-black” remark. Lieberman was also fired as Chief Psychiatrist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s New York-Presbyterian Hospital due to the criticism. The professor’s inappropriate retweet, in which he sought to laud South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech, sparked the issue. Lieberman seems to have mistakenly retweeted the original tweet, which stated incorrectly that Gatwech’s skin tone was the darkest ever recorded. This prompted even more debate when Gatwech republished the message on Instagram while correcting the error. Lieberman’s tweet, which was subsequently removed, was screenshotted and circulated on social media.
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman apologizes publicly.
Lieberman shared the initial erroneous tweet on model Nyakim Gatwech’s complexion on February 20. Lieberman wrote in the referenced tweet, which has since been deleted:
“Whether she’s a piece of art or a quirk of nature, she’s a sight to see.”
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The former Columbia University psychiatry head’s use of the term “freak” sparked widespread outrage online, leading to his removal from his role. Following the backlash, Lieberman removed or canceled his Twitter account. Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, on the other hand, said in one of his responses to the criticism:
“TWEET REMOVED. Please accept my heartfelt apologies for any offense or indiscretion. “Being alive and learning.”
Furthermore, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman apologized to his colleagues in an email The New York Times acquired. The 74-year-old apologized in his email to the black community and ladies whose feelings he may have damaged. He wrote in the email:
“I’ve harmed many people, and I’m starting to realize how much work is ahead of me in order to make necessary personal adjustments and, in time, recover your trust.”
Meanwhile, NBC’s Nyakim Gatwech called Lieberman’s remarks “disappointing” and “straight out racist.” In addition to being the director of psychiatry at the institution, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman was the president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) from 2013 to 2014. As of today, it is unknown if Lieberman will return to his current post.
