UNT spokeswoman who made 'reverse racism' comment is no longer with the school

A University of North Texas spokeswoman resigned this week after she called a student's petition to name a planned residence hall for a person of color "a form of reverse racism."

"Nancy Kolsti has resigned her position with the university after serving UNT for 26 years," Leigh Anne Gullett, associate director of news said in an email. "The reasons Nancy gave were personal. She resigned on Tuesday."

Student Government Association member Misaki Collins started the petition when she realized that no university buildings are named after minorities. She said the petition garnered 489 signatures in one day, according to the campus newspaper, UNT Daily.

Collins had tweeted a screenshot of the email she received from Kolsti last Friday.

The email said in part, “UNT buildings should be named after individuals who are deserving of such an honor - not individuals who are chosen to fill a quota system that you think the university should have because you feel that it is important ‘to promote diversity in every aspect of the student experience.’”

In a statement of her own, Collins said, “The argument of reverse racism, is in itself racist. This dangerous narrative is unacceptable from someone who is a professional staff member that is employed to represent UNT. This is completely against the values and mission of our university.”

UNT said in a statement earlier this week that "honoring diversity is one of its most important values" and that Kolsti was speaking as a "private citizen."

This story was originally published February 22, 2018 at 6:54 PM with the headline "UNT spokeswoman who made 'reverse racism' comment is no longer with the school."