A third report of racist graffiti is being investigated at Syracuse University — ramping up what's already been a tense week on campus. Students were notified late Thursday night about the most recent incident.
The graffiti targeting the Asian community was found in Day Hall, the same location where the first reported racist graffiti was found. Day Hall is a freshman dorm which houses one international living community. The other graffiti was found in an academic building.
After meeting with students earlier Friday, in the evening SU Chancellor Kent Syverud released a video on Vimeo, labeling the recent incidents as "hate speech," saying he was "concerned," "disgusted," and "outraged" at the multiple "anti-Semitic incidents" he says were targeted at African American, Asian, and Jewish communities.
"We do support free speech at Syracuse University for our students, faculty, and community. Our Orange values, however, require that we be emphatic about the difference between free speech and hate speech. These incidents are hate speech and not free speech," Syverud said in the video. "When these hateful incidents ... produce dangerous and hostile environments, it's the responsibility of our university and our community to step up. I am stepping up. Our students at the Barnes Center have stepped up ... I ask each of you to step up as well."
Syverud says all week he has held meetings with law enforcement leaders and listened to students, faculty, and staff. He says he heard of the "painful" effects these incidents have had on the SU community and students and plans to follow up next week.
He also says he has been working "hard" with the Department of Public Safety, saying DPS has teamed with Syracuse Police Department and the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to hold those responsible accountable. Syverud notes he was equally working with the SU student experience team to provide safe environments for students to protest.
Syverud "urges" anyone with information related to the incidents to "speak up."
Students say they are upset with the way the college has handled the incidents by not notifying everyone immediately after the graffiti was discovered. They are now in their third day of sit-in protests inside the school's Barnes Center.
“We're out here and we really want to see change, and we're not trying to cause any disruption. We're just really doing this because we're hurting and want to be seen,” one student said.
Students call the movement “Not Again SU,” in reference to cases of bias over the past few years.