Connecticut College in New England has cancelled its classes after discovering racist graffiti in one of its buildings. The offensive language was found on the first floor of the Crozier-Williams building.
Images of the graffiti obtained by NBC Connecticut showed the words “no ni***rs” scrawled on a bathroom wall. “Given the egregious nature of the graffiti, we are enlisting the campus community to help us identify those responsible,” Dean of Student Life Victor Arcelus and Director of Campus Safety Stewart Smith wrote in a letter to students on Sunday.
The incident isn’t the first of its kind on the campus. Earlier this month, officials placed Connecticut College Professor Andrew Pessin on leave for publishing a Facebook post comparing Gazan Palestinians to “a rabid pit bull chained in a cage, regularly making mass efforts to escape.” Officials said they cancelled classes Monday to give students the chance to address the recent hate speech.
“We must take action immediately to expose and eradicate this ignorance and hatred,” stated Connecticut College president Katherine Bergeron. “I have decided to cancel tomorrow’s classes to ensure these events receive the proper attention.”
The graffiti was removed and police are investigating the incident.
