US professor faces possible termination after 'word salad' remark during faculty meeting sparks discrimination probe

Hofstra University professor Richard Himelfarb faces probe over remark during faculty meeting/Image: Hofstra News. A US professor has spent nearly a year under investigation after a colleague accused him of racial discrimination over his use of the phrase “word salad” during a faculty meeting at a New York university.Richard Himelfarb, a political science professor at Hofstra University in New York, made the remark during a November 3, 2025, faculty meeting concerning proposed courses, according to the New York Post.Himelfarb said Jewish Studies chair Santiago Slabodsky, who was born in Argentina, had proposed two courses for his department, including one examining conspiracy theories and another exploring religion and revolutionary movements in Latin America.Several professors objected to the proposals, Himelfarb said. He claimed Slabodsky then gave a lengthy response that did not address the concerns raised by the faculty members.Himelfarb said he responded: “That is complete word salad; I don’t understand a thing Professor Slabodsky said.”Slabodsky filed a complaint the following day, alleging that the phrase disparaged his accent and South American heritage.In his complaint pro...