In an email statement sent to the University community Friday, University President Jim Ryan and Ian Baucom, executive vice president and provost, wrote that an unknown individual vandalized an Israeli flag hanging in Rouss-Robertson Hall, home to the University’s McIntire School of Commerce. According to the email, University administrators are overseeing an investigation to identify the culprit and have filed a police report.
In the statement, Ryan and Baucom wrote that while the University is committed to free expression, vandalism is not protected speech, and bigotry and harassment are not tolerated at the University.
“This act of antisemitism is antithetical to the values and norms of the McIntire School and the University as a whole,” the statement read. “University leaders are supporting the Dean, students, and other members of the community who were affected by this incident.”
The statement included a message from Nicole Jenkins, dean of the McIntire School of Commerce, who wrote that the flag was located on the second floor of the building and was defaced with the words “Where is Palestine.” Jenkins said the flag was removed Thursday afternoon after they noticed the vandalism and that it will be replaced, although she did not provide a time frame for this replacement.
The Commerce Council — a student-led organization with the stated purpose of representing and supporting undergraduate Commerce students — began the tradition of displaying flags on the second floor of Rouss Hall in 2019, according to Jenkins. She said that the flags represent past and present Commerce students.
Jenkins said that herself and Baucom agreed that the vandalism appears to be an antisemitic act.
“This act of vandalism targeted and defaced the flag of the world’s only Jewish state,” Jenkins said. “This appears to be an act of antisemitism and will likely be experienced by many in our community as such.”
In her statement, Jenkins encouraged any student with information about the incident to come forward. She also wrote that administrators have reported an incident to the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, which is responsible for investigating incidents of discrimination and harassment at the University.
This is a developing story. Updates will be made to this article as additional information becomes available.
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