Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Pomona College, Harvey Mudd College and Pitzer College have all canceled classes for Wednesday, March 10, in a show of solidarity in response to a hate crime that occurred in a parking lot located on the Pomona College campus Tuesday night. The five colleges are all members of The Claremont College consortium and located on contiguous campuses.
According to reports, a car belonging to a Claremont McKenna faculty member who had just taken part in a forum on hate speech was vandalized sometime between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9. The windows of the car were broken, the tires slashed, and the body of the vehicle spray-painted with racial epithets. Claremont Police are currently investigating the incident, which has been formally classified as a hate crime. Claremont McKenna College has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to a solution to the crime.
Scripps President Nancy Y. Bekavac met with the Scripps Faculty Executive Committee this morning and agreed that classes should be canceled at Scripps today in order to permit — and encourage — students, faculty and staff to participate in the activities listed below and organized through the student governments of The Claremont Colleges.
President Bekavac, in a message today to the Scripps community, said: “Now is a time for all of us to live out our values, to speak openly and frankly. The attack last night was not just on one faculty member, but on the very basis of our institutions; we must make clear that we will not tolerate such crimes.”
To further the dialogue at Scripps, the Faculty Executive Committee and the President have set a community meeting for 1 p.m. at Balch Auditorium this afternoon, which will permit students to attend other events on various campuses.
A number of events have been scheduled for The Claremont Colleges campuses during this “Day of Solidarity and Teaching,” leading up to a rally at 8 p.m. tonight (March 10) on the Claremont McKenna campus.
Here is a list of scheduled events:
- 8 a.m.-Noon — Teach-in and gathering on Pomona’s Marston Quad, to give students an opportunity to discuss the incident and other incidents involving hate speech in recent weeks.
- Starting at 9:30 a.m., continuing through the day — Film of the vandalized car may be viewed in the Rose Hills Theatre in Smith Campus Center on Pomona’s campus.
- 10 a.m. — A gathering at the Office of Black Student Affairs (East 7th Street). The gathering will move from OBSA to Collins Dining Hall at Claremont McKenna at 11 a.m. in an expression of solidarity with other campuses.
- Noon-6 p.m. — A sit-in on the North Quad of Claremont McKenna College. All community members are welcome to sit and discuss their reactions, feelings and ideas as a show of support for those threatened by this incident and a stand against acts of hate.
- 1 p.m. – Scripps College community meeting at Balch Auditorium.
- 5 p.m. — A Pomona College community meeting on Marston Quad. Students, faculty and staff are invited to continue the discussion of Tuesday night’s incident and Pomona’s response to it.
- 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. — Dinner for Pomona students, faculty and staff on Marston Quad.
- 8 p.m. — A culminating rally at Claremont McKenna College’s North Quad, with a range of student speakers.