By Brendan Bilo

A TOWN hall has been scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday at Weinstock Lecture Hall in the wake of a campus incident that prompted an on-campus protest Friday.

The Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion emailed the invitation to the York College community on Saturday, noting that “this is an opportunity to discuss the current racial justice climate on campus and how to move forward.”

The protest and Monday town hall come on the heels of the recent news of a student using a racial slur and being allowed to stay in school.

It spurred an emailed from Dr. Richard T. Satterlee, dean of student development and campus life, and Alex Hernández-Siegel, director of the office of student diversity and inclusion. It read:

We have received messages, both through our social media channels and by email, about a video of a student making a derogatory comment and racial slur regarding African-Americans. The conduct depicted in this video, which was recorded earlier this fall, contradicts YCP’s deeply held values of respect for others and appreciation of diversity and inclusion.

This conduct is unacceptable, and when it was reported to us in late August, the administration promptly investigated the incident as a violation of our Student Code of Conduct and our recently added section on Anti-Discrimination and Ethnic Intimidation. Sanctions issued at the time were consistent with those developed in 2020 by a committee that included students from our Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion. 

We encourage members of our community to come forward to alert us of any acts of racism, bias, or intolerance. These acts are not acceptable in our community, and we are dedicated to making our campus environment an inclusive and safe one for everyone. Such acts can be reported to the Office of Campus Safety, Office of Student Conduct, or directly to the Office of the Dean of Student Development and Campus Life. We believe these concerns are best handled as an educational community and strongly warn against any individual acts of retaliation or harassment.

The protest Friday lasted around an hour as students chanted and carried placards as they circulated through main campus.

Here are some photos taken during that protest:

Brendan Bilo is a freshman majoring in Film and Media Arts.

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