What happened

On June 14, 2022, a faculty member was walking into work on the Health Sciences campus and saw a construction sign on the road just south of the Rehabilitation Hospital, with a swastika spray-painted on the back.

What is being done

The incident was reported to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA), the Racist and Bias Incident Response Team and to University of Utah Police, which has opened an investigation. The graffiti was painted over and all construction signs and other surfaces were checked to make sure that there was no other graffiti on signs and surfaces painted or otherwise displayed in the area.

If you have any information related to this incident (or others) that may help, please report by filling out the form at the Office of the Dean of Students website. Or you can report to University of Utah Police by calling 801-585-2677 or filling out the Silent Witness form.

If, through the course of some review or investigation (by University Police, or other appropriate investigative body), the individual(s) responsible is identified, the Office of the Dean of Students (if confirmed to be a student), Human Resources (if confirmed to be an employee), or other appropriate leader, will act within university policy designed to hold the individual(s) accountable and, if appropriate, provide additional education about the harm caused to the community by this type of behavior.

What to do

Be vigilant and speak up. If you see someone engaging in vandalism, or talking about vandalizing university property, note the location and notify a campus official. If you are interested in learning more about the variety of resources the U offers to support diversity and inclusion, please visit the Office of the Dean of Students in the Union Building, Room 270, deanofstudents@utah.edu, 801-581-7066, or Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Park Building, Room 208, or https://diversity.utah.edu/our-team/. To make a report of a racist or bias incident, visit the public reporting form. 

Stopping this type of behavior takes collective action, and bystander intervention efforts are one way of combatting conduct that can wrongfully be seen as a prank or joke but can cause real harm. To learn more about how to incorporate bystander intervention into your toolkit, check out the information here: https://wellness.utah.edu/workshops-training/#bystander

The U is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion

Acts of vandalism will not be tolerated. Further, the University strongly disagrees with messages that cause harm and diminish a sense of belonging and safety for not only our Jewish community but for our communities of color, and the LGBTQ+ community as well. We are striving to create a campus community where members find a place of safety and belonging, and have the space to explore, express, and celebrate their various identities.

While we will not tolerate acts of vandalism, when done covertly, we cannot stop the act in the moment. We will continue to name the biased acts, investigate, and when such acts violate the law or our policies, we will hold the perpetrators of these hateful acts accountable when they are identified. Additionally, we will continue efforts that uplift and celebrate our communities and enhance a sense of belonging on our campus, and strive to live our mission and lead with purpose.

The University of Utah also welcomes and values the members of our community who identify as Jewish, and believes the community is strengthened by their contributions. The University is currently partnering with Hillel International on a comprehensive Campus Climate Initiative focused on understanding the experiences and needs of our Jewish student population and educating the campus community. Information about other types of critical conversations is available online.