Columbia University suspended its head of psychiatry last week after he made eyebrow-raising remarks on Twitter about a model’s skin color, calling her a “freak of nature.”
Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman retweeted a photo of South Sudanese-American model Nyakim Gatwech: “Whether a work of art or freak of nature she’s a beautiful sight to behold,” he tweeted.
After the comments went viral, the university issued a statement Dr. announcing that Lieberman had been removed from his position as psychiatrist-in-chief at New York Presbyterian Hospital, effective immediately.
“I tweeted from my personal account a message that was racist and sexist. Prejudices and stereotypical assumptions I didn’t know I held have been exposed — to myself and to you — and I’m deeply ashamed and very sorry,” Lieberman in an email to faculty and staff.
The model reacted to the tweet in an interview with Pix11. She expressed her gratitude to her supporters fr calling out Libermann’s remarks.
“An apology from me to the Black community, to women, and to all of you is not enough. I’ve hurt many, and I am beginning to understand the work ahead to make needed personal changes and over time to regain your trust,” he added.
Nyakim earned the nickname “Queen of the Dark” after a story of her interaction with an Uber driver went viral. When Uber driver asked her if she would bleach her skin for $10,000, Nyakim replied: “I would never do that. I consider my skin to be a blessing,” she told him.
“When I put a picture up I’m telling people that no matter what you say, I love who I am. I love my skin tone. I’m telling people that I am beautiful even though I look different than the majority of people in this world I live in,” Nyakim told Teen Vogue in 2017. “I never had a problem with my skin until I came to America, went to my middle school and realized everyone was staring at me. The kids made fun of me.”
