Troubling Campus Incident
Nov. 14, 2016
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
Any hateful act or speech that occurs on our campus is an affront to all of us, and unfortunately I need to inform you of one such incident that occurred on campus this past weekend.
Today, a student reported to Campus Police that at 11:30 on Saturday night, a driver who stopped to ask him directions shouted an anti-Semitic insult at him and then threw a cup of beer at him before driving away down Loop Road. The student reported that the vehicle was a dull red Range Rover and that the driver appeared to be a male with dark skin in his mid-20s.
Campus Police are investigating, including reviewing closed-circuit television cameras from around campus to see if such a vehicle can be identified. Waltham Police have also been notified and we will continue to work closely with them. Anyone else who may have observed a vehicle fitting that description on Saturday night is urged to contact Campus Police at 781-736-5000. Brandeis takes an incident such as this extremely seriously, and is responding with increased police presence and visibility on campus, in addition to other security efforts.
No member of the Brandeis community — or any community, for that matter — should be subjected to such an act. It has been very discouraging to see an uptick in hate-fueled incidents around the country and on college campuses in the days following the election. We can and must stand up together as a campus community, disavow such acts and support each other in their wake.
Ron