Slippery Rock president responds to racial incident on campus
Slippery Rock University’s president on Monday plans to join other university officials and student leaders to discuss how to make the university more welcoming and a safer place for all after a racial incident in which a Black History Month poster was defaced with hateful and racist comments last weekend.
President William Behre said he will hold the meeting at 8 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Smith Student Center Theatre on the Butler County campus.
In a statement released earlier this week, Behre condemned the incident, calling it an “act of cowardice and ignorance that will not be tolerated.”
Behre said he was angry and sorry for the anguish and pain it has caused the university community and African-American students.
“It’s impossible to understand what is in the heart of someone who spews such distasteful epithets. I won’t guess what is at the root of the fear and ignorance they displayed in their remarks,” Behre stated.
The university will do all it can to identify anyone who marred the poster and take appropriate disciplinary sanctions, Behre stated.
“Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet to immediately eradicate such hate or centuries of legal, institutional and cultural racism,” Behre said, but its important to fight ignorance with education and fight discrimination with inclusion.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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