Georgetown professor calls black conservatives ‘coons,’ says he works with ‘stupid white people’ in O’Keefe undercover video

A Georgetown University adjunct professor was caught on hidden camera by James O’Keefe referring to black conservatives as “coons” and claiming he works with “stupid white people.” Franklin believed he was on a date with O'Keefe, who was undercover.

Jonathan Franklin, who is scheduled to teach a class on sources and interview technology at Georgetown, is a former NPR correspondent who focused on issues involving race, culture, and justice. Franklin was recorded by O’Keefe while discussing black conservatives, including Clarence Thomas, whom Franklin called “the biggest coon of them all.” 

When asked about Candace Owens, Franklin described her as “annoying” and “another coon,” accusing these conservatives of selling their souls to “the white men” and calling Owens a “sellout.”

Franklin also described the people he works with at the university as a group of “stupid white people.” While undercover, O’Keefe pressed Franklin to share his views publicly, and Franklin responded that he would need to stop being a journalist to say what he “really want[s] to say.”

O’Keefe later confronted Franklin directly, revealing his identity. Franklin initially refused to believe O’Keefe was actually O’Keefe, even though O’Keefe was not in disguise and was only wearing glasses. When Franklin realized the situation, he attempted to flee and at one point, tried to assault a cameraman with O’Keefe Media Group. Franklin also fell to the ground while running.

Ironically, Franklin is set to teach a course in January 2026 on how to “find sources and how to interview them effectively,” according to the university’s course description.

“Georgetown University records confirm Franklin is currently teaching students how to ‘interview sources effectively,’ even as he privately uses racial slurs and expresses biases fundamentally incompatible with journalistic ethics,” O’Keefe wrote in a post on X.