Lab Ditches Class to Rid Workers of Drawls

Tennessee employees complained about 6-week course

By Jenn Gidman, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 30, 2014 4:05 PM CDT

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Lab Ditches Class to Rid Workers of Drawls — Tennessee lab canceled an "accent reduction" class after employees complained. (Shutterstock)

Looks like workers at a Tennessee lab are "stuck" with their Southern drawls after all. Management at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is reneging on its offer of a six-week course designed to strip employees of their "y'alls" and "yonders" after people complained about the premise, reports CBS News. The course was pitched as a way to boost workers' confidence in meetings, but "given the number of staff here who have Southern accents, this was clearly not received well," a lab spokesperson tells Reuters. Maybe the instructors can concentrate on helping goats with their accents instead. (Read more Southern accent stories.)