A sticky note with a swastika drawn on it was found on a lounge window in Digman Hall of Dickinson Community yesterday, according to a B-Line news addition sent Tuesday night. This is the third time this month a racist incident has occurred in a campus residence hall at Binghamton University.
“We take all instances of this nature very seriously and have zero tolerance for such appalling acts,” Tuesday’s news addition read. “We are working to ensure the matter is investigated thoroughly and those responsible are held accountable.”
On Oct. 5, a drawing including racist depictions of black people and racial slurs was found on a fifth-floor study lounge whiteboard in Endicott Hall. The University sent out an email that evening addressing the discovery.
“Offensive graffiti that has been characterized as racist was reported at about 8:45 a.m.,” the statement from University President Harvey Stenger read. “Binghamton University does not condone offensive incidents of any kind.”
A town hall was held by students later that night, where the language used in the statement ― “characterized as racist,” instead of “racist” ― was criticized. Binghamton’s New York State University Police (UPD) identified the culprits in the case, who said the drawings were a “social experiment.”
Three days later, on Oct. 8, another racist message was found on campus, this time in a bathroom in Onondaga Hall of College-in-the-Woods. Stenger’s statement regarding the incident was lengthier and included stronger language.
“That Binghamton University should face two incidents of this sort in less than a week shows how immature, ignorant, potentially dangerous, and insensitive people can be,” he wrote.
The latest incident is under investigation, according to the news addition. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact UPD.