Baugh is best known for developing the theory of linguistic profiling, which occurs when someone’s speech triggers discriminatory bias against them, such as when they are seeking employment or housing.
[15] Baugh joined the teaching faculty of Washington University in St. Louis in 2005 as the Margaret Bush Wilson Professor in Arts and Sciences.
[15] Baugh’s early research focused on the language and culture of African Americans, employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative sociolinguistic methods.
Baugh conducted the first longitudinal linguistic study of African American adults, described in his first book, Black Street Speech: Its History, Structure, and Survival.
[18] Baugh debunked many of the misconceptions about the concept of Ebonics (a portmanteau of "ebony" and "phonics", for "black sounds", a term coined by social psychologist Robert Williams) as well as some of the educational policies that emerged in the wake of the controversy.
Baugh's research on linguistic profiling began with his own experience seeking housing in the San Francisco Bay Area as an African American.
[24] Baugh noticed that landlords who had given him an appointment after he utilized Standard American English over the phone later denied him the opportunity to rent after meeting in person.
With long-standing support, primarily from the Ford Foundation, Baugh has continued to study various forms of linguistic discrimination in housing, education, medicine, and the law.
The field can be traced to the Cullen Davis murder trial, in which Roger Shuy, a professor emeritus of linguistics at Georgetown University, served as an expert witness, using discourse analysis methods to evaluate the speech of suspects and the defendant.
For instance, in the Unabomber case, Shuy and FBI Agent James Fitzgerald used the language in Ted Kaczynski’s manifesto to discern his location and age.