What did Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman say? Columbia University suspends psychiatry head over controversial tweet about model

On Wednesday, February 23, Columbia University suspended the chairman of the Psychiatry Department, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, over his controversial and alleged “anti-black” tweet.

Following the backlash, Lieberman was also removed from the post of Chief Psychiatrist at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

The controversy originated from the professor’s insensitive retweet where he attempted to praise South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech. Lieberman seemed to have unknowingly shared the original tweet, which inaccurately claimed that Gatwech’s skin tone holds the record for being the darkest one ever recorded.

This issue sparked further controversy as Gatwech herself shared the tweet on her Instagram while clarifying the inaccuracy. Lieberman’s tweet, which was deleted later, was screenshotted and shared across social media.

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Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman issues public apology

On February 20, Lieberman retweeted the original erroneous tweet regarding model Nyakim Gatwech’s complexion. In the quoted tweet, which has since been deleted, Lieberman wrote:

“Whether a work of art or freak of nature she’s a beautiful sight to behold.”

The former Columbia University psychiatry head’s usage of the word “freak” caused a lot of backlash online, which ultimately led to his suspension from his positions. Lieberman has reportedly deleted or deactivated his Twitter profile following the flak he received.

However, in one of the replies to the criticism, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman said:

“TWEET DELETED. My sincere apologies for any offense and indiscretion. Living and learning.”

Furthermore, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman also issued an apology to his colleagues via an email which was obtained by The New York Times. The 74-year-old addressed his email’s apology to the black community and women, whose sentiments he may have hurt. In the email, he wrote:

“I’ve hurt many, and I am beginning to understand the work ahead to make needed personal changes and over time regain your trust.”

Meanwhile, Nyakim Gatwech told NBC that Lieberman's comments were "disappointing" and "straight up racism."

As of now, it is unclear if Lieberman will be returning to his future in the existing position. Besides being the psychiatry head at the university, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman also served as the president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) from 2013 to 2014.