FGCU faculty pushes for change after racist messages appeared on campus

FORT MYERS, Fla. Several faculty members at FGCU don’t believe the university is doing enough to stop the racism that has recently plagued the campus.

Nine members sent a letter to the university president and cabinet members voicing their concerns after dozens of posters promoting white supremacy appeared on campus last week.

Instead of dismissing these issues, which they say “sends a signal of silent consent” and creates a climate of fear on campus, the members want the school to implement a clear hate speech policy, as well as inform students and staff members when these incidents occur.

FGCU Chief of Staff Susan Evans responded with this statement:

Like many other universities and colleges across the country facing these issues, FGCU has strongly denounced hateful expression that is contrary to our culture of respect and inclusivity.

Several other incidents were also reported earlier in the school year. The first incident was in October when a racial slur was written on a whiteboard outside of a professor’s office. It read kill “the N-word” with a stick figure hanging from a tree. Less than a month later, a student spotted another racial epithet written on a library whiteboard, which said “Noose Tying 101.” In November, someone keyed a slur for homosexuals onto a student’s vehicle.

The person responsible for these acts hasn’t been caught.