‘KKK’ books a study room at McMaster library
Believed to be a prank, it has nonetheless upset students, faculty and activists
McMaster University is investigating a reservation made for a library study room under the name ‘McMaster KKK meeting’.
The booking, believed to be a “very inappropriate prank,” is being condemned by anti-racism activists and Mac’s student union.
The booking, for a study room at Innis Library, could have been made by students, staff or faculty, said Gord Arbeau, Mac’s director of communications.
“The indications now are it is either a false booking or a very inappropriate prank,” he said.
The online self-made reservations must be accompanied by a McMaster identification number.
Library staff does not normally monitor the bookings, except daily during and near exams to prevent abuse of the system, Arbeau said. Exams started on Friday at Mac.
The “McMaster KKK meeting” was booked at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday for Thursday’s 1 a.m. time slot. Arbeau refused to say if the ID number used belonged to a student, faculty or staff because “part of the investigation will determine the origins.”
He acknowledged there was no staff around at the booked time to see if anyone showed up.
But he said staff took “immediate action” at 8 a.m. on Thursday. They notified the individual that it was inappropriate; they cancelled the booking (although the slot was gone) and referred it for investigation.
The booking, however, was still on the library website Friday morning. It was removed after The Spectator called about it. The Spec became aware of it through a student tweet.
Arbeau said the investigation is being done under Mac’s code of conduct, but didn’t know yet which body would investigate.
Ameil Joseph, a school of social work assistant professor, said the booking “is yet another indication that more institutional support is required … to combat bigotry and hatred.”
Joseph, a member of the McMaster president’s committee building inclusivity, and who is involved in anti-racism in Hamilton, said Mac has a lot of serious work to do.
“This university should be a place for … engagement and conversation, not the terrain upon which hatred and bigotry are cultivated.”
Joseph said the city must also intervene “in a more strategic way” to help people feel safe, by among other things, creating the anti-racism resource centre it committed to earlier this year.
McMaster Student Union (MSU) president Justin Monaco-Barnes denounced the booking.
“The MSU strongly believes that racial and religious bigotry has no place on McMaster’s campus,” he said, adding there is no legitimate group or club there called McMaster KKK.
Sarah Adjekum of McMaster Womanist said a university investigation under its Code of Conduct is not a sufficient response to the KKK reference.
“This is a group known to terrify and kill people of colour,” she said. “We know people with these attitudes exist.”
Adjekum, a key organizer of the city’s Anti-Racism Action forum last month, said it’s hard to say if this is a sick joke because McMaster recently saw several posters appear anonymously that condemned “anti-White propaganda” and promoted the “alt-right” movement embraced by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump during his bid for the White House.