Dear Monmouth University Community:
Last night numerous students and alumni brought to my attention the existence of vile and racist text messages and posts from members of the university community shared on social media. These two incidents have already been reported to various offices on campus, including the Office of Judicial Affairs, the Office of Equity & Diversity, the Intercultural Center, and the Monmouth University Police Department, for further investigation. We are working with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, consistent with the Attorney General’s Revised Bias Incident Investigation Standards. The investigations are just beginning.
On behalf of all of us here at Monmouth University, I condemn this behavior in the strongest way possible. These incidents are particularly discriminatory to the Black members of our community. They are an affront to the values we hold most dear and a violation of everything we stand for as a university. Hate has no place here at Monmouth, and discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. Given the context of current events, this responsibility is more important than ever.
I will share additional information as appropriate.
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy, President