Closed
After a period of 90 days with no new information, cases are considered closed. However, if new information becomes available or there are other updates those will be posted here. Individuals 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 January 12, 2023, a Resident Advisor (RA) in a University Housing and Residential Education (HRE) residence hall observed several messages drawn on a whiteboard on a residence door. The message used words to spell Greek letter designations of fake sororities/fraternities. In one message the letters also aligned to spell “KKK” and in the other, referenced oral sex. The residents in the room where the messages were written identify as white.
What is being done
The incident was reported to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA), and the Racist and Bias Incident Response Team. The messages were removed from the whiteboard, and Housing and Residential Education (HRE) staff conducted a check to ensure there were no other similar messages drawn on other doors in the community.
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 the OEO/AA, 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 writing messages containing racist words or symbols in residence halls, University buildings or other public places, 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
The University strongly disagrees with the messages these writings convey, that cause harm and diminish a sense of belonging and safety for our communities of color. 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. 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.