Monitoring
Although this situation may not be ongoing actively, the Racist & Bias Incident Response Team is working with appropriate departments to monitor and prevent future reoccurrence. Those who believe they have been the target of bias, intolerance or discrimination may report an incident to the public incident report form (bias and intolerance) or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (sexual misconduct and discrimination).
Please direct any questions or concerns in regard to this bias incident to the RBIRT Manager at RBIresponse@utah.edu.
What happened
On November 6, 2023, a student leader was walking through the Kahlert Village Health and Wellness Suites when they discovered a whiteboard with various gender based sexualized language, a known homophobic slur (f***), and biased language towards members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
What is being done
The incident was reported to Housing and Residential Education and the Racist and Bias Incident Response Team. If you have any information related to this incident that may help, you can report the information using the Office of the Dean of Students’ website, report to the University of Utah Police by calling 801-585-2677, or by filling out the silent witness form.
The University of Utah continues to prioritize education and programming that builds awareness of the impacts of bias and to create more inclusive environments.
The U is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion
Acts like these demean women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Creating an equitable, safe, welcoming and inclusive campus is our top priority. The University continues efforts to uplift and celebrate all of our communities and enhance a sense of belonging on campus, as addressed by President Randall’s strategic vision and foundational pillars.
What to do
Be vigilant and speak up. Stopping this kind of behavior takes collective action, and bystander intervention efforts are one way of combatting conduct that can be wrongfully seen as a prank or a joke but can cause real harm.
Support and resources
Counseling and support services are available from various entities on campus. Visit Campus Resources | #SAFEU (utah.edu) for more information.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Ana Ascencio, RBIRT Manager, at RBIresponse@utah.edu