By Tom Ackerman
University of Iowa officials alerted Quadrangle Hall residents Monday about a hate speech drawing directed toward African-American people found in the building.
While details of the message are unclear, Monica Marcelo, the acting Quad coordinator, said offensive drawings were found on a white board defacing a positive Black Lives Matter statement, which were reported May 6.
“The person responsible for this act has not yet come forward, but I am hopeful that they will so that we can have a learning opportunity from the incident,” Marcelo wrote in an email. “Words can and have had a negative impact on our community.”
She said the intent of the drawing is unknown, and she extended services available on campus to students who would like to speak more about the incident, such as the University Counseling Service, the Office of the Ombudsperson, and the Center for Diversity and Enrichment.
“Sadly, this bias-related incident counteracts the hard work that has been done to create an inclusive floor environment,” Marcelo wrote. “As a leader of the Quadrangle Hall community at the University of Iowa, I wholeheartedly embrace my responsibility to create a welcoming environment for all members of our community.”
The incident comes in the wake of an alleged hate crime against 19-year-old UI freshman Marcus Owens, who was assaulted last week.
Owens claims the attacks were racially motivated, and initially told ABC that he believed one of the offenders was a person he had seen on campus. The Iowa City Police Department is currently investigating the assault as a hate crime, but it is unclear if any suspects have been arrested.
