Dear Students,
We are investigating an incident that took place this weekend as a possible violation of the Duke Community Standard and the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harrassment and Related Misconduct. This communication follows the recommendation of the Summer 2020 Hate and Bias Working Group to provide more transparency to the student community in cases of anonymous acts of bias.
We strongly condemn any act of hate or bias on our campus and acknowledge that the impact of hateful speech can be profound and long lasting. If you are in need of support, we encourage you to connect with one of the support resources available to all students, included below the signature of this message.
Details of the incident:
On Saturday afternoon, October 15, 2022, while in the Brodhead Center, an undergraduate student received an anonymous AirDrop Message which contained hate speech focused on race. The incident was first reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) on October 17, 2022.
Next steps:
The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS), is currently investigating this incident to determine if more can be learned about the circumstances surrounding this event. Anyone who has more information or who has been the recipient of such a message can report it here.
Possible outcomes:
If Duke students are found to be responsible for this act, the Office of Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) will issue sanctions to the responsible student(s). Any incident that is motivated in whole or part by an individual's race, warrants "acceleration" or elevation of sanctioning due to the impact on the community.
Technology recommendations:
The use of anonymous Airdrop and other Bluetooth file sharing to perpetuate hateful rhetoric is unfortunately not unprecedented and is a violation of the community standard. The Office of Institutional Technology has offered the following recommendations to limit receipt unwanted and unsafe messages:
Apple/iphone: Restrict “Receive AirDrop From” to “Contacts Only
Android: Set Device Visibility on Nearby Share to “Contacts"
Sincerely yours,
John Blackshear
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Mary Pat McMahon
Vice Provost/Vice President of Student Affairs
Gary Bennett
Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education