Just to clarify, the petition is not calling for his firing from the university. It is asking that he not be a senior fellow at Massey College, which is not an academic position. He is not employed by Massey College.  Also, if the title 'Master' used at a table where black people are sitting would trigger the 'same ironic thought' in most people,  then it's time for a title change, no? Many universities have disbanded the use of the term, including Harvard. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/12/qa-on-changing-house-master-title/