The university is investigating an ethnic slur disparaging of Italian Americans found on a chalkboard in O’Shaughnessy Educational Center (OEC).
A faculty member discovered the slur on Monday morning and reported it to Public Safety. An officer documented the incident before erasing the writing from the board. It was unclear how long the writing had been on the chalkboard, although the room was last scheduled for cleaning early Saturday morning. The room is not being used as a classroom this semester.
St. Thomas takes seriously and aggressively investigates all reports involving racist and discriminatory actions and behaviors. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Public Safety at (651) 962-5555 or at the Public Safety Tips Line (651-962-TIPS or pstips@stthomas.edu. Reports can be made anonymously). All community members can also file reports using the university’s Online Bias Reporting Site.
