University President Anthony Monaco shared the news of two incidents of hate that have occurred on campus in the past week in an email to the Tufts community on Sunday morning.
Several Asian students were verbally assaulted by the occupants of a passing vehicle, who were verbalizing anti-Asian rhetoric in a hateful manner.
Members of an athletic team found a large swastika painted on the shed at Bello Field.
Monaco condemned these incidents.
“Let me state as clearly as I can: Acts of anti-Asian hate and anti-Semitism such as these are unacceptable and violate what we stand for as a community,” Monaco wrote in the email. “I acknowledge the significant harm that these incidents can have on the Asian and Jewish communities, respectively. All of us have a responsibility to speak out against such bigotry.”
Monaco also shared that the Tufts University Police Department is investigating these acts of hate, and encouraged students to share any information they may have. It currently remains unclear whether the perpetrators of either incident are affiliated with Tufts.
Monaco noted that these incidents show how far we still have to go to reach the goal of being a more just and equitable university for all, and ended the announcement with a call to action.
“I hope you will join me in redoubling our efforts and recommitting ourselves to eliminating racist and anti-Semitic acts in our community,” Monaco said.
