Marist College Responds to Bias Incidents

A swastika and other racist incidents recently occurred at a local college.

Marist president David Yellen reported a few recent “disturbing incidents on campus.” Those incidents included a swastika that was drawn on a campus bathroom stall and a woman who reported she was accosted with shouts of “go back to Africa.”

“Harassment or hate-oriented speech and actions are not acceptable,” Yellen stated. “The conduct is reprehensible and may subject individuals to disciplinary action. More importantly, it demeans our efforts at civil discourse, causes harm to members of our community, and embarrasses the perpetrators.”

Yellen believes the presidential election results played a role in the racist incidents. He also applauded most students for their peaceful acts.

“Last week marked the end of a difficult and highly contentious presidential campaign. As we prepare for the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of our democracy, conversations about the outcome of the election and its impact on all Americans are taking place across our campus, as they are across the country," he said. "I applaud the vast majority of our students for modeling exactly the type of open dialogue that will foster greater communication and understanding between people across all ideological perspectives.”