Dear Scripps Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I regret to communicate that this afternoon, an employee of one of the other Claremont Colleges verbally attacked students in Seal Court, using hate speech, expletives, and other abusive language. Those who were present were understandably traumatized, and I recognize that this only adds to the sense of fear and unease about an increase in hostility toward our community manifesting in hateful behavior on our campus.
It bears repeating that we will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or bias-related incidents at Scripps. Accordingly, we immediately reported the confrontation to Campus Safety, engaged the Claremont Police Department to remove him from the premises, and permanently banned him from the Scripps campus.
Our open campus strengthens our relationships with the greater Claremont College and local communities, but also can, at times, result in unwanted intrusions. In light of recent events, we have requested a more visible presence from Campus Safety over the next several days to ensure the physical safety of students, faculty, and staff. If you witness or are the target of a bias-related incident or any other threat to personal safety, please contact Campus Safety at 909-607-2000 or the Dean on call at 909-833-5552.
There is a disturbing increase across the country in acts of hatred. Our greatest weapon against this pattern is our willingness to choose community over factions and speaking up over silence.
Sincerely,
Lara Tiedens
President