Purdue University Northwest faculty prepare no confidence vote on chancellor after graduation remark

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The calls continue for Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon to step down after his controversial remarks at a graduation ceremony earlier this month.

The faculty senate is giving Keon until today to resign before they move to a no confidence vote.

"I'm going to continue putting pressure on the situation until he either voluntarily resigns or the Board of Trustees comes to their senses and forces him out," Purdue University Northwest Faculty Senate Chair Thomas Roach said.

Keon issued an apology after mocking Asian languages during commencement. But Roach argued that's not enough.

"Any apology is meaningless as long as he's still in in place of the university, he needs to resign or needs to be removed," Roach said.

Chicago Mandarin Chinese Center Chief Program Instructor Andy Zhang agreed.

"Obviously he was trying to make people laugh by a funny imitation but it was such an awkward and ridiculous act," Zhang said in an email statement.

More than 1,000 Asian Americans in higher education from across the country signed on to a petition calling for Keon to leave his post and a more inclusive environment for Asian American students, staff and faculty at Purdue University Northwest.

"It's critically important that we are able to voice our protest and to demand action for too long Asian Americans have been the butt of jokes," said University of Minnesota Asian American Studies Program Director Richard Lee.

Lee said jokes have real life consequences.

"There's been a rise of anti-Asian hate and violence over the last 2 to 3 years during the pandemic. But you would expect the last place that you would see it occur is by a chancellor during a university commencement," Lee said.

We reached out Purdue University Northwest for comment, but we have not heard back yet.