The prestigious London School of Economics is under fire for accidentally sending a “racist” email to all accepted undergraduates addressing them as Kung-Fu Pandas.
The email, titled “Dear Kung-Fu Panda,” read: “This is to certify that Aa-Kung Fu, Panda Tiger Test Test has firmly accepted an unconditional offer of admission to the London School of Economics and Political Science for the full-time, three-year programme of undergraduate study.”
Nearly 70 percent of the school’s students come from overseas — and a whopping third of them come from Asia.
The school has since sent out a mass apology, blaming the email on a technical problem.
“Please note that the email you recently received was for a test record,” the apology read. “You shall shortly be receiving your individual Certificate of Acceptance. We apologise any (sic) confusion of (sic) concern this may have caused.”
Nowhere in the email did the school directly apologize for the “panda” slur — something that some found particularly upsetting.
“I’m deeply worried about the flagrant racial stereotyping which LSE have seemingly refused to apologise for in their vague follow-up email,” said one student, who was vacationing in China when he received the message.
Others have accused the school of “flagrant racism.”
An LSE spokesperson assured the Metro that the email “did not target students from any particular background,” and that the name “Kung Fu Panda” was used only because the employee who set up the test record is a huge fan of the animated film by the same name.
— Katherine Timpf is a reporter at National Review Online.