STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford University officials have decided to cast aside a newly crafted “harmful language guide” that sent the Internet into a frenzy last month for discouraging the use of words like “American,” “Hispanic” and “cakewalk.”
The Stanford guide quickly became part of the “culture war” discourse, criticized on social media and in the media for going too far in trying to dictate politically correct speech in professional settings.
While it was conceived as a way to promote a more inclusive and welcoming environment for people of all walks of life, the guide “missed the intended mark” and was was broadly viewed as counter to inclusivity,” university spokesman Steve Gallagher said in a statement last week.
