Governor Tom Vilsack says the University of Iowa administrator who said “white men…are the root of most evil” has probably learned her lesson. University of Iowa V-P Ann Rhodes made the comment during a news conference announcing the arrest of a black student accused of making racist threats to students. Vilsack says Rhodes regretted what she said immediately and has apologized for it.The Iowa Civil Rights Commission has dismissed a complaint two men filed against Rhodes. Vilsack says there’s a lesson in all this. He says it’s an opportunity to recognize that humor can help tear down barriers, but it also can be an impediment.Vilsack says he doesn’t know the facts of the case and can’t comment on whether Rhodes was treated differently because she was a woman.
