AMHERST – Flyers that University of Massachusetts officials describe as including racist, anti-Semitic and hate-filled messages, received electronically by several campus offices Thursday morning, are being condemned by Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy.
In an email to the campus community, Subbasway described the printouts from printers and fax machines as a “cowardly and hateful act” that is being investigated by campus police and the Information Technology department.
“This despicable incident reminds us that we must not be complacent as we continue to strive for a society that embraces diversity, inclusion and equity, a society where everyone feels safe and welcome,” Subbaswamy wrote.
According to Subbaswamy’s email, the flyer was distributed to networked printers and fax machines at several locations on campus and includes the web address for an organization identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the nonprofit legal advocacy organization based in Montgomery, Alabama.
They appear to have been sent from an off-campus location.
Members of the UMass community who receive similar flyers should notify the IT department.
Last month, students held a candlelight vigil after three anti-Semitic incidents, including the engraving of a swastika in a bathroom stall at the Integrative Learning Center, the etching of a swastika into a snow-covered vehicle in a campus parking lot and the posting of a swastika on social media.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
