UMass prez: racist incidents ‘appalling and disgusting’

Black UMass Amherst student groups targeted with emails

UMass President Marty Meehan on Monday called the recently reported racist incidents at UMass Amherst, including emails that targeted Black student groups, “appalling and disgusting.”

The state’s flagship campus is investigating after several Black student groups received the emails earlier this month, and university officials are trying to identify who sent the messages.

“The blatantly racist e-mails recently sent to Black student organizations at UMass Amherst and other deplorable acts of anti-Black hatred are appalling and disgusting,” Meehan said in a statement. “While UMass Amherst is still trying to identify the source of these messages, we do know that the messages in no way reflect the true character of the UMass community and we have zero tolerance for such behavior.

“We are reminded, however, that we all have an obligation to confront the racism that continues to infect our society,” he added. “I commend Chancellor Subbaswamy and his leadership team for candidly and proactively sounding the alarm about this vicious, hurtful assault on our Black students.”

In response to these incidents, the UMass Police Department is partnering with UMass IT to try to find the sender of the emails. Other measures the school has taken include outreach and support for the students who received the emails.

“My team in the Office of the President is working with UMass Amherst to investigate and to identify the individuals and/or organizations responsible for these hate-ridden messages, and hold them accountable wherever they are,” Meehan said.

He also said, “As the campus aggressively pursues the source of these vile messages, we must all join in active support of our students, and re-double our commitment to providing a safe, welcoming community for all students. We must treat any such attack on one group as an attack on all that we stand for as a university.”