Student outrage at the election of Jay Appleyard has prompted a petition calling for his removal from office

A petition accusing newly elected SU Experience Officer Jay Appleyard of “racial ignorance” and calling for his removal has surfaced – just two weeks after he was elected to the role.

The petition calls on the current SU President, Dan Flatt, to push for Jay’s removal from office after images surfaced of him ‘blacked up’. It is also addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Robert Burgess, and the Students’ Union in general.

One of the images in question

After just a few hours the petition has already reached 73 supporters of the 100 required.

The petition suggests that Jay Appleyard has been ‘racially ignorant’ saying: “By keeping Jay Appleyard in this post we are telling, not only the students at the University of Leicester, but also everyone else, that racial ignorance is okay.”

It goes on to say that: “by being racially ignorant you’re setting a precedent that insulting a race is ok as long as you don’t segrate them, or use offensive terms.”

“Blackface has been an issue since it was first introduced as theatrical make up for white performers to impersonate a stereotypical caricature of black people in misntrels shows. It is now widely deemed as extremely offensive yet is still used.”

The full text of the petition

The petition has come after The Tab reported on the controversial images having been notified about them by a reader prior to the election.

The creator of the petition, Naima Fowlis. told The Tab: “I found the image really disappointing especially as I had met Jay less than a week prior and he seemed like a nice enough guy. I started the petition because I don’t agree with what he did and i don’t think he deserves a position like Experience Officer if he thinks blackface is appropriate even if it was just for a play as he claims.”

“It’s still offensive and it still shows that he is very much unaware of how something that like can make someone of that race or any race who cares about racial issues feel.”

“Although he apologised he didn’t really take responsibility for his actions or consider why what he did was offensive. He just tried to excuse it by saying it was a production.”

She added: “I started the petition to show him and other people that what he did was wrong and therefore he shouldn’t be given the responsibility of student safety and happiness.”

Students at the University of Leicester were shocked to hear that Jay had been elected at the announcement which was made at Red Leicester on 26 February. Jay won the vote for Experience Officer by more than 500 votes but faced with the waiting audience at the club night alone after his rival candidates refused to go on stage with him.

They told The Ripple: “we all agreed between us not to go on stage, because we feel any one of us could have done a better job representing the students of this union than he could.”