More incidents spark stern response from DPU president

Less than a week after a reprehensible handwritten message was found scrawled on a bathroom wall at the Inn at DePauw, University, President Mark McCoy has addressed “unacceptable incidents” occurring in the wake of the original episode.

“I want to state categorically that slurs, threats or intimidation are never welcome on this campus,” McCoy said in a letter sent Monday to students and staff at DePauw.

Promising to take “a host of actions,” McCoy added, “Make no mistake, we will take every action available to us to address these incidents.”

No one has yet been arrested or charged in the April 11 discovery of the hateful racial message written as being attributed to the Ku Klux Klan.

President McCoy said university officials are currently investigating:

• A racist threat in a restroom at The Inn at DePauw last Wednesday (which sparked the original letter from McCoy referenced in Saturday’s Banner Graphic).

• A homophobic and an anti-Semitic message also found in a restroom.

• An incident of a student engaging in offensive behavior at The Duck (the bar inside the Inn at DePauw).

• The N-word formed by rocks in the nature park.

Each of the incidents is being investigated, and since most have occurred in public spaces, the university has contacted the Greencastle Police Department, Mayor Bill Dory of Greencastle and the Indiana State Police to assist.

“This behavior is threatening and intimidating and cannot be tolerated,” McCoy stressed.

“Although we don’t yet know when these words were written and regional public safety officials do not report any uptick in hate group activities in our area, we remain hyper-vigilant in monitoring such activity.”

DePauw has taken the following actions, McCoy said:

• Contacted campus, city and state safety officials.

• Launched investigations into each incident.

• Reviewed campus camera data.

• Launched bias team reviews.

• Solicited additional investigative help from state officials.

• Added additional safe ride and campus escort vehicles.

• Created a specific email address -- incident@depauw.edu -- to report information anyone may have on the issues.

In addition, the university is taking the following steps:

• Scheduling a meeting with faculty, staff and student campus leaders.

• Following that meeting, a campus-wide gathering will be scheduled for every member of the DePauw community.

”We are one community and this affects us all,’” McCoy said. “The investigative processes are thorough and take time. We will update the community when we have more information.”

McCoy urged anyone with any information to use the email address incident@depauw.edu to let school officials know “what you are seeing and hearing.”

“We ask everyone to be ever vigilant,” he said.

“You will continue to hear from me,” McCoy pledged in conclusion. “Our society has major challenges before us and we must do in all in our power to be certain that this campus, our home, is inclusive, welcoming and safe.”