Jillian Kirk deleted her Facebook and Twitter accounts amid backlash over her racist social media posts. (Image courtesy of Twitter/Miyanna Fowlkes)
A Michigan State University sophomore under fire for her repeated use of the n-word and other racist language on social media has apologized.
“I apologize for the inappropriate social media posts I made,” business major Jillian Kirk wrote in an email to The Tab. “Nothing was meant to cause pain to anyone, but I realize what was in those posts is hurtful and disrespectful.”
“What was said in these posts is not how I feel, but I know I need to learn how to be more inclusive and respectful to diversity of people and diversity of thought,” she added. “…It is my goal to work on my behaviors.”
Kirk’s apology comes amid calls for her expulsion by fellow MSU students who say the young woman has a history of using the racial slur. According to The Tab, students were first made aware of Kirk’s offensive behavior after fellow student Miyanna Fowlkes posted a series of pictures showing Kirk using the N-word.
In a Snapchat photo, the young woman is seen with post-it note stuck to her forehead that says “N—–R.” Another photo shows her out with friends with a drink in her hand and the caption “bottoms up n—-r.”
Let’s play a game… it’s called “ How many retweets does this girl need before MSU kicks her out” @michiganstateu pic.twitter.com/c2AQ3rXGoI
— JOOLEEYETUH🍦 (@miyannafowlke) March 27, 2018
Fowlkes’ tweet has since gone viral, garnering over 48,000 retweets and reactions from students equally bothered by Kirk’s behavior. Many have reported Kirk to the university while others contacted her job, a restaurant called The Main Crossing. Both her Twitter and Facebook accounts have been deleted.
https://twitter.com/Juylianafowlkes/status/979052781167415296
https://twitter.com/apthegoddess94/status/978693925543206912
https://twitter.com/Gitana_East/status/979016281591599105
Dammit @jillian_kirk you gone use your government name on all social media? Cool. Believe me when I say, black people know how to find who their looking for https://t.co/X4KqkTynCd
— The People’s Choice (@tgthehost) March 27, 2018
@TheMainCrossing Pretty sure you have a racist on your staff – Jillian Marie Kirk is her full name…searching via twitter will return receipts…you're welcome
— Samantha_S (@Consuella04) March 28, 2018
Amid fallout over her offensive comments, Kirk issued an apology early Thursday, expressing regret for her “inappropriate social media posts.”
Emily Guerrant, an MSU spokesperson, said the university is aware of the comments made by Kirk but noted it “does not get to control what every member of our community says.” Guerrant went on to say that MSU embraces diversity and inclusion and doesn’t condone racist bullying.
“One of the university’s core values is inclusion, to have a campus environment that fosters free speech and the sharing of ideas and beliefs,” her statement read in part, adding that the university intends to use the incident as “an opportunity to keep a conversation about race and inclusion ongoing.”
