After allegedly holding a mock slave auction in class, a Howard University professor is under investigation

An unnamed professor at Howard University is under investigation after allegedly holding a mock slave auction in class.

The incident was first reported by Caged Bird, an online magazine that, according to its website, is written “for minorities, by minorities."

According to the magazine, the professor, who is white, called upon a black student in the room to stand up in front of the class during a lesson on Frederick Douglass’ slave narrative. The professor allegedly said he selected the student because he looked “healthy” and “like the type of slave buyers would look for.”

The professor told the class to evaluate the student’s teeth, height, weight and strength, according to Caged Bird. 

Other news outlets picked up the story. 

“Personally I'm upset because I feel as though you can’t really have a mock slave auction at an HBCU, especially a professor of a different race,” Howard University student Corey Jefferson told Fox News. 

“This article was not written in hopes that the professor will be fired. As Black men and women navigate through this world, we are often faced with subtle racism and race-charged wrongs,” Caged Bird wrote in an editor’s note accompanying the article. “With this piece, we aim to stop this lesson plan from being used in future years of this professor’s career, and hope to acknowledge that yes, white teachers can teach about slavery, but there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to accomplish this.”

An ABC News affiliate reported that, according to a statement released by Howard on Monday, “The university is aware of the incident and investigating the matter.”