Stanford removes ‘harmful language guide’ from website following backlash

STANFORD — Stanford University officials cited “intense recent feed” in their decision to cast aside a newly crafted “harmful language guide” that sent the Internet into a frenzy last month for discouraging the use of words like “American,” “Hispanic” and “cakewalk.”

The Stanford guide quickly became part of the “culture war” discourse, criticized on social media and in the media for going too far in trying to dictate politically correct speech in professional settings.

While it was conceived as a way to promote a more inclusive and welcoming environment for people of all walks of life, the guide “missed the intended mark” and was was broadly viewed as counter to inclusivity,” university spokesman Steve Gallagher said in a statement Wednesday.

Written by the Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative at Stanford, in partnership with People of Color in Technology and the Stanford CIO Council, the “language guide” is part of a multiphase, multiyear project to address harmful language in information technology (IT) uses only at the university. Its goal is to “eliminate many forms of harmful language, including racist, violent and biased language” in Stanford websites and code.

Gallagher said the initiative was created to address racist terms historically used in IT, such as “master” and “slave” to describe aspects of systems. The initiative’s scope of “racist terminology in technology” was later expanded more broadly as “harmful language in technology.”

The 13-page guide also discourages the use of what it describes as ableist, ageist, colonialist, and culturally appropriative language, and urges code writers to avoid words ranging from the obvious “retarded” and “spaz” to phrases that might seem more innocuous, like “brave,” “American,” “Hispanic,” “cakewalk” and “homeless person.”

“It was this expansion in scope that is at the heart of the intense recent feedback from the Stanford community and beyond,” Gallagher said. “The path forward will be determined after reviewing all recent feedback and consulting with university academic and administrative leadership.”

In a previous statement, the university made clear that the guide was not university policy and “does not represent mandates or requirements.” But that didn’t stop the Internet from going berserk over what many labeled too politically correct.

Several news outlets and publications, including the Wall Street Journal and Fox News, condemned the guide, calling it “absurd” and “ridiculous.” On Twitter, Elon Musk said the guide “has gone too far, to say the least!” and demanded “an explanation for this madness” from Stanford.