To All Members of the Campus Community:
I am saddened and disgusted to share that today an employee reported that another swastika has been found, this time defacing a sign in the Arboretum with the symbol and the words, “White pride nation wide.” The sign has been taken down so that the hate symbol and accompanying hate language can be removed, and we have asked campus police to investigate. In fact, legislation signed by Gov. Newsom this month makes it a crime to use hate symbols, including the Nazi swastika, on K-12 and college campuses, among other places.
We must continuously and vociferously condemn hate speech and hate symbols. This type of defacement is deeply troubling and hurtful and does not reflect the caring community that we want and need to be for our Hornet Family.
To show solidarity with Jewish and other communities targeted by such hateful messages, raise awareness about antisemitism, and publicly condemn all instances of hate, we are working to schedule a campus town hall in the near future. The town hall will provide an opportunity for us to come together as a Hornet Family to listen, to learn, and to support one another. We are consulting with rabbis and other leaders of local faith communities to identify a date for the town hall that will not interfere with the Jewish High Holiday of Yom Kippur and other holidays. We will share a date, time, and place as soon as the details are finalized.
When we found two swastikas in early September, we committed to doing quarterly campus walk-throughs. The first of those is scheduled for early October. Inclusive Excellence has been working to add hate symbols and hate messages to the list of items that should be reported using the Acts of Bias Reporting Tool. Data collected through that tool help inform the University’s efforts to be proactive in addressing these issues. If you see something, please report it immediately. We must work together to create and maintain an antiracist campus where everyone feels welcome and safe.
I know that many in our community are feeling pain and anxiety by the appearance of these hateful symbols on our campus and in our community, and I ask that you continue to support one another.