- - Indiana University professor removed from class over white supremacy graphic

Cate Charron, Indianapolis Star November 13, 2025 at 5:44 AM

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BLOOMINGTON, IN — An Indiana University lecturer says she was removed from teaching a class after a student complained to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks' office about course content and the school deemed her lecture could violate state law.

The investigation into Jessica Adams centers around a graphic about white supremacy that she presented during her graduate-level social work class titled "Diversity, Human Rights and Social Justice."

A letter from administrators said she potentially violated Indiana's "intellectual diversity" law. Under Senate Enrolled Act 202, a professor must embrace free expression and intellectual diversity and may not lecture about political views unrelated to their field.

"During class, the instructor spoke on White Supremacy and showed a graphic that listed Make America Great Again (MAGA) as worse than police killing people of color and stated that MAGA is socially unacceptable white supremacy," the complaint reads. "Also lists Columbus Day and 'colorblindness' as White Supremacy."

Adams maintains that the graphic was misinterpreted and that she gave an explanation of why it was presented in class. She said the complaint should have been found to be without merit since she was teaching within her discipline and the scope of the course.

"I feel that my academic freedom has been stifled," Adams said at a Nov. 7 news conference in Bloomington. "I feel that I have not been treated with care or allowed due process, and I do feel that my students are suffering and their education has been compromised."

Two students said during the news conference that they were not adequately notified about the removal of their professor and for what reason. In the past several weeks, they said, assignments have gone ungraded while guest lecturers step in to teach.

IU spokesperson Mark Bode said the university does not comment on personnel matters. Banks' Senate office did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this semester, Indiana University's Bloomington campus was likely the first university to sanction a professor under the new state law. Germanic studies professor Ben Robinson was punished after a dean found an anonymous complaint had merit — though Robinson claims an investigation never occurred.

White supremacy graphic

Several social work organizations, including the Grand Challenges for Social Work and the National Association of Social Workers, cite racism and oppression as key issues to address in a profession that often confronts them head on.

When she presented the graphic known as the pyramid of white supremacy during her Sept. 22 class, Adams, a master's level lecturer, said her lecture material sources back to academic journals and experts.

The week's focus centered on race and ethnicity, according to the class syllabus, where students would leave with "a deeper understanding of the formation and legacies of racial and ethnic identities, the ways in which structural racism continues to shape society, and the lived experiences of those affected by racial and ethnic disparities."

"I was teaching that not only is white supremacy a hierarchy that prioritizes white people and puts them at the top of power structures, but also it is about centering white thought and experience as the normal experience for all citizens, for all Americans," she said. "I felt it was important to name very specific ways in which we see white supremacy showing up in our society because if you can't name it, then you can't address it."

The graphic taught in class, which Adams provided to IndyStar, provides examples of what it labels covert and overt white supremacy. The original source of the pyramid is listed as the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence.

Indiana University Lecturer Jessica Adams presented the Pyramid of White Supremacy to her class on Sept. 22.

At the bottom of the pyramid are things like racist mascots, cultural appropriation and claiming reverse racism, which are characterized as covert or socially acceptable white supremacy. As the pyramid moves up to a point, the examples cross into overt white supremacy, including racial slurs and burning crosses, with lynching at the top.

President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan appears just below the line separating overt and covert white supremacy. Adams said her lecture was focused on the phrase, not the movement.

The IU complaint caught Adams off guard, she said, since she thought her students would have an understanding of the social work profession's values. She said that leaders in her profession have recently highlighted eliminating racism in its practice as an industry-wide goal.

"I know that the topics I was teaching on are currently considered divisive, even though they should not be, but they're topics that are essential to our profession, to our values and ethics," she said. "... I think I assumed some false protection from SEA 202 because of my discipline that I was teaching within."

From Jim Banks to IU's dean of social work

A student in Adams' class initially complained to Banks' Senate office instead of using the SEA 202 reporting system, she said. However, after his office contacted the university, School of Social Work Dean Kalea Benner decided to file an official grievance naming herself as the primary complainant, Adams said.

On Oct. 6, she was barred from teaching the class and contacting her students. When she asked administrators, they told her it was because another complaint had been made, she said, but could not provide the complaint in writing since it was not formally made.

Adams said administrators told her she was removed from teaching "out of an abundance of caution." According to IU policy, lecturers can be removed or suspended if "a situation involves an imminent threat of harm to the complainant."

Administrators have not provided a timeline on when the complaint will be decided, Adams said. She still teaches three other courses at IU.

If sanctioned, Adams would likely not see an immediate consequence. However, an additional sanction could subject her to probation, suspension, termination or a host of possible penalties related to promotions, tenure or salary, according to IU code.

Following IU policy?

Similar to Robinson, Adams and the Indiana University chapter of the American Association of University Professors allege that the university has skirted its policies when dealing with her complaint.

Adams is concerned about Benner, her dean, acting as both the complainant and administrator involved in investigating the complaint. According to IU's SEA 202 policy, the school's dean determines whether a complaint has standing and merits a review.

"She was also consulted as a content expert and was effectively allowed to determine the merit of her own complaint," Adams said. "I asked if this was allowed and was essentially told, 'Yes, this is allowed to happen,' which is outrageous."

She claims several rights of her were violated, including rights to retain counsel, to participate in evidence collection, and to avoid self-incrimination, as the university collects evidence and investigates the complaints.

The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.

Have a story to tell? Reach Cate Charron by email at [email protected], on X at @CateCharron or Signal at @cate.charron.28.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IU professor removed over white supremacy graphic listing MAGA

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