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 Feb. 11, 2023, two students (who identify as White) were walking on the sidewalk on the corner of Wasatch Drive and Student Life Way at 7:42 p.m. An eastbound SUV (reported to be silver or white and probably a 2007-2010 model) passed by and a young man, who appeared to be White, yelled the “N-word” at them from the moving vehicle.
The students reported the incident through the online public reporting form, and the report was forwarded to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (OEO/AA), the Racist and Bias Incident Response Team and University Police.
What is being done
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. You can also report to University of Utah Police by calling 801-585-2677 or by filling out the Silent Witness form.
Although it is unknown if the person who shouted from the vehicle is a member of our community, if, through the course of some review or investigation (by University Police or other appropriate investigative body), the individual(s) responsible is identified as part of the U community, 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 shouting racist slurs, or engaging in threatening or concerning behavior, 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.
The U condemns hate and is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion
This act, done in a public space, is rooted in the hateful act of striking fear among our community members. Even when not targeted specifically at members of our Black community, these acts often eave our Black students, staff and faculty feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, angry, and continuously on edge. While we work to ensure that they can find a place of safety and belonging as a part of our campus community, we know that is not enough.
We will continue to name the racist acts, investigate, and hold the perpetrators of these hateful acts accountable when they are identified. We cannot tolerate what is intolerable. Additionally, we will continue to proactively implement efforts that uplift and celebrate our communities as we witness an increasing number of racist acts on our campus and across the nation. This is the time to draw together and call out these acts when we see them.