Professor Watchlist

Warning: Profile Contains Explicit Language

Dr. Sam Richards is a Teaching Professor of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University. He is known for his racially laden diatribes delivered to students during his lectures.

Dr. Richards is most prominently known for teaching SOC119, or “Race and Ethnic Relations”. The class is allegedly the “largest race and cultural relations course in the United States,” according to the official site. Dr. Richards also streams his lectures live, with over 57,000 subscribers on Youtube as of August 2021.

The course addresses relevant racial, political, and cross-cultural issues amongst young adults. Classes consist of Dr. Richards facilitating discussions for students to confront and examine viewpoints contrary to their own.

However, lectures typically devolve into racial and politically biased tirades. Dr. Richards frequently accuses white students of harboring racial animus, alleges that white supremacy is embedded in American culture, and accuses American Christians of seeking to overthrow the government.

In one lecture, titled “White Discomfort,” Dr. Richards selects a black and white student and asks them to stand in front of the class. Claiming that racial equality does not exist, he proceeds to position both students abreast of one another before yelling, “They are not f****** equal!”

 

In another class, titled “Christian Sharia,” Dr. Richards spends over an hour lecturing on the threat he perceives Christians pose to the country. At one point, when displaying a picture of a Muslim man holding a sign that reads, “Behead Those That Insult Islam,” he proceeds to claim, “You can’t find that anywhere in the Koran….I know that you can find it in the Bible.”

 

Later in the same lecture, he accuses Vice President Mike Pence of being a religious extremist on par with that of the Taliban.

 

In a lecture delivered in March of 2021 and captured by Campus Reform, Dr. Richards selects a white student, Brian, from the audience for a class exercise. He proceeds to ask Brian who he oppressed that day. After the student replied that he hadn’t oppressed anybody, Dr. Richards retorts that since Brian has “left his house” and “is breathing”, that, as a white person, he must have oppressed somebody that day. The full interaction may be viewed below.

 

As of August 2021, Dr. Richards has disabled comments or unlisted many of his videos following publicity of his lectures.

The main site for SOC119 mandates that regardless of vaccination status, students will have to wear masks while attending class.

The Professor Watchlist Team reached out to Dr. Richards for comment but has not received a reply by the time of publication.

 

Parents and Students may contact Pennsylvania State University at 814-865-4700.

Updated – August 26, 2021