UW-Madison has begun an investigation Tuesday into another reported incident of discrimination in Sellery Residence Hall, according to the university’s Director of News and Media Relations Meredith McGlone.
A UW-Madison student in the PEOPLE program found an explicitly racist letter that was slid under their residence hall door, according to Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer Patrick Sims. The letter implied a threat to the student.
Earlier this week, students outside of Gordon Dining and Event Center protested the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Monday speech by holding a banner that displayed #TheRealUW and Bucky Badger in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.
University officials have begun to respond on Twitter to the incident. Dean of Students Lori Berquam said she was “ashamed” of this “cowardly act" and again stressed that UW-Madison has to be better than this.
Cowardly. I am ashamed. #therealUW https://t.co/sWM7znTrvO
— Lori Berquam (@LoriBerquam) March 31, 2016
Sims also said that anonymously sending a threatening letter was cowardly.
“It needs to stop now. This is not the UW that I agreed to teach at,” Sims said in the video. “This is not the forward-thinking institution that I thought it was.”
Enough is Enough.... #therealUW https://t.co/lZ79s2vFeI
— cdo@uwmadison (@cdo_uwmadison) March 31, 2016
Sims admitted the letters from university officials could not protect students, but he asked students to grant him the opportunity to take action.
University officials have not provided any further details regarding the report and ongoing investigation. Sims urged students with information about the letter to come forward.
UPDATE April 1, 5:52 p.m.: This story has been updated to include further information regarding the incident and university response.
