To members of the Case Western Reserve University community,
It saddens me to learn that there recently have been incidents of expressions of hatred, bigotry and incivility here on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. While we know such incidents are occurring on other campuses around the country as well, we want to address what is happening on our own campus, and we need all of you to assist.
Despite all of the good work so many students, faculty and staff have done to live out and uphold our core values, there apparently are some among us who have not taken these values seriously.
Their actions—whether in the form of symbols of hatred such as swastikas or words designed to threaten individuals because they are Jewish, Muslims, black, Latinx, women, from other countries or members of the LGBTQ community—are unacceptable. We do not condone these actions, and we have policies, practices and programs designed to confront them.
When we consider the recent pipe bomb threats, the Jewish synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and the killing of innocent black people outside of a Kroger supermarket in Kentucky, we know we are living in a time when the very values we care about at our university are being undermined. But as a campus community dedicated to education, innovation and improving human lives, we have an obligation to encourage one another to speak out against hatred, to treat one another with respect and civility, and to be the change agents our campus, our community and our nation need in times like these.
I’m writing, however, not just to express my dismay about these incidents but to encourage you to use our counseling services, and visit the offices where there are advocates and allies for assisting you with sharing your concerns.
Students should report incidents of hate and bias to our Community Concerns Reporting System (formerly known as the Bias Reporting System), and faculty and staff should report incidents to the Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity. All members of the community can contact the Integrity Hotline at caseintegrityhotline.com or 1.888.483.9367 or CWRU Police (216.368.3333) when you see or hear examples of such incidents.
As President Barbara R. Snyder and Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Stark have indicated in their own recent statements, we are a campus community committed to diversity, inclusion and equity. If ever there was a time to live these core values, this is it.
I hope you will use this time to engage in meaningful dialogue with one another about what we can do to counter acts of hatred and bigotry with expressions of concern, civility and community.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Sanders Mobley
Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity