U of W student under fire for blackface photo

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This article was published 09/06/2020 (2260 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A former University of Winnipeg student leader and one-time provincial Liberal candidate is the subject of a human rights investigation, after a photo of him in blackface surfaced on social media Monday.

In the photo, David Teffaine, a business student at U of W, appears to be dressed as disgraced entertainer Bill Cosby at a Halloween party with three other white people in costumes. He is pictured wearing a patchy wool sweater, black hat and black face paint, while holding an orange pill bottle. (After years of denying allegations of predatory behaviour, Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2018. He lost an appeal in 2019.)

A reverse image search of the photo indicates it was first posted to Facebook in early 2016. On Monday morning, a screenshot was posted on Facebook by a former executive on the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, who called for Teffaine to be held accountable for his racism and misogyny.

Hours later, Teffaine took to Instagram to apologize for the harm the photo has caused.

“My costume dehumanizes, ridicules and disrespects the black community and reinforces racist ideals. I will deeply regret, for the rest of my life, wearing this costume and misunderstanding the actions it supports,” he wrote.

Teffaine, who did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication, added he would continue to educate himself on systemic racism in the future to “become a better person.”

The UWSA announced Monday it was cutting all ties with Teffaine — previously a student-at-large on its board’s subcommittee and a representative on the U of W’s board of regents. “We are truly disgusted and disturbed by what has occurred, and sincerely apologize,” states the post made on behalf of its executive team.

Last autumn, Teffaine ran an unsuccessful provincial campaign for the constituency of Swan River under the Manitoba Liberal banner. Until several months ago, he was also an active member of the Manitoba Young Liberals.

On Monday, both the party and youth affiliate said Teffaine had not been a registered member of the respective organizations for several months.

“None of us were aware of this until today,” said David Engel, president of the Manitoba Liberals. “All I can say is those sorts of things, we do take very seriously.”

According to his Facebook profile, Teffaine is also the executive director of marketing at the Manitoba Youth Association of Multiculturalism. Association president Ashas Irfan declined to comment on the matter until he had done further research into it.

Days before posting the blackface photo, former UWSA executive Mahlet Cuff took to Facebook to allege Teffaine and another student repeatedly targeted and intimidated herself and another woman of colour on campus. Teffaine did not address the allegations in his Instagram post.

When contacted by phone, Cuff directed a reporter to her Facebook posts.

“Incidents of racism are not isolated. They are not a trend that ‘happen,’ and only exist when shared over social media,’” Cuff wrote in the June 5 post about the alleged intimidation.

The UWSA’s spokeswoman said Monday all of Teffaine’s actions are under investigation by U of W’s Human Rights and Diversity Office. The union said it cannot disclose further details until the confidential investigation is complete.

A spokesperson for the university directed an inquiry to the UWSA, citing the student union’s status as an independent organization.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie