Hofstra University professor faces investigation over racial discrimination claim

Richard Himelfarb, a political science professor at Hofstra University, is facing potential termination following a nearly year-long investigation into allegations of racial discrimination.

The dispute originated during a faculty meeting on November 3, 2025, regarding proposed new courses. Himelfarb claims that after several professors objected to course proposals made by Santiago Slabodsky, the chair of the Jewish Studies program, Slabodsky delivered a lengthy and incoherent response. Himelfarb responded by stating, “That is complete word salad; I don’t understand a thing Professor Slabodsky said.”

Slabodsky, an Argentine native, filed a complaint alleging that the phrase “word salad” was used to mock his accent and South American heritage, thereby impugning his language ability and clarity. Hofstra University’s Human Resources Vice President, Denise Cunningham, informed Himelfarb in mid-February that the institution found “reasonable cause” to believe he had disparaged Slabodsky’s ethnicity.