Subject: Bias Incident at Scripps
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:26:44 -0700
From: Staci Buchwald <SBuchwal@ScrippsCollege.edu>

Between the hours of 8:00 AM and 10:25 AM on March 9, 2008, a person wrote a cultural epithet and offensive drawing on the write and wipe board of a student's room in Routt Hall. The incident came to my attention this morning.

This kind of conduct constitutes a bias incident and anyone with information about the perpetrator of the incident should contact an RA, DOS staff member and campus safety.

Anyone in need of support or wishing to discuss this incident is welcome and encouraged to contact the resource which best meets their needs. Resources include:

+ staff at OBSA - Hughes Suffren - x73639
+ staff at CLSA - Maria Torres - x18044
+ staff on the Asian American Advisory Board - Jeanne Noda - x18125
+ Res Life Staff - Staci Buchwald x18277
+ Chaplains Office - x18685
+ SCORE staff - Marla Love x70743
+ Scripps Diversity Coordinating Committee - Nancy Neiman Auerbach x73549
+ staff at MCAPS (Monsour) x18202
+ DOS - x18277

We are a supportive, caring community and bias-related incidents will not be tolerated. Any time a community member becomes aware of a racist, sexist, heterosexist bias incident on our campus, a potential bias incident or hate crime, or any other type of crime, they are urged to appropriate action to combat the incident. These actions might include:

calling campus safety,
photographing the incident,
identifying the perpetrator,
intervening in the moment if safe to do so,
writing a letter or article for one of the student news publications,
sponsoring, attending or participating in educational programming,
encouraging your peers to do the same.

In accordance with the Communication Protocol for Bias Related Incidents for The Claremont Colleges a binder of incidents is kept in the Dean of Students Office, located in Balch Hall, room 112, SARLO and SCORE. Persons wishing to review this binder may do so during regular office hours.

Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Staci J. Buchwald, Associate Dean of Students
Scripps College

Subject: Bias Related Incident
Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:58:48 -0800
From: Jeanne Noda <jeanne_noda@hmc.edu>

Good afternoon.
This morning, the following writing was viewed on the white board of an HMC dorm room - "Hillary is a foxy lesbian". It seems that the student residents wrote this message as part of a joke, without thinking about the impact it might have on others. It refers to a prominent public figure.

The message has been erased. Campus Safety has been notified. But those who might be concerned about this incident are encouraged to stop by and speak with us in the Dean of Students Office, the Office of Institutional Diversity, or with a member of the HMC Multicultural Ally Program (see http://www.hmc.edu/about/administrativeoffices/institutionaldiversity1/map1/allynames.html).

Some of the other resources include the Counseling Service, the Office of Black Student Affairs, Chicano Latino Student Affairs and the Queer Resource Center.
Jeanne Noda
HMC Dean of Students

Subject: A Report From the Pomona Dean of Students
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:12:51 - 0800
From: Jeanne Noda <jeanne_noda@hmc.edu>

This report, from Dean Miriam Feldblum (Pomona College), describes a possible biased incident occurring at the Queer Resource Center.

---

Dear Members of the Claremont Colleges Community,

In the middle of Wednesday night, it appears that members of our own community entered the Walton Commons kitchen and the adjoining Queer Resource Center (QRC) located on the north campus (6th street and Amherst), and expelled a fire extinguisher over the entire kitchen and the QRC living-room space. The fire extinguisher released a smoke-like powder that can cause damage to property and required extensive clean-up. The fire alarms went off. Campus Safety responded and was on the scene in five minutes, followed soon after by the LA County Fire Department. Witnesses report seeing some students in the area of Lawry Court 1 and Walton Commons/QRC.

We are actively investigating all aspects of this incident, including whether the incident is a bias-related incident as defined by our policies. The gravity of this incident can not be underscored enough. The Queer Resource Center is a very precious resource on campus, a center whose mission includes "providing a visible, comfortable and accessible space for queer, questioning and allied members of the college community to congregate and explore issues of identity." This act of vandalism violates the Center, and is especially hurtful coming on the eve of the QRC Open House last night.

We put our trust into the hands of the LA County Fire Department to quickly respond to us in case of fire or other emergencies. In return, they trust our community not to abuse their services, activate alarms, or discharge fire estinguishers unnecessarily. This act of vandalism violates that trust, and distracts the fire department from where they may be truly needed. I am grateful to the Campus Safety officers, the fire Department, and our RA on call for responding so swiftly to this situation. I very much encourage any student who was in the vicinity last night to contact me or Campus Safety (x72000) if they have any information relevant to this case.

Anyone in need of support or wishing to discuss thsi incident is also welcomed and encouraged to contact any one of the following resources: Staff at the Queer Resource Center, Dean of Students Office, Asian American Resource Center, Office of Institutional Diversity, Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services, and other CUC resources.

Any time a community member becomes aware of a potential bias incident or hate crime, or any other type of crime, they are urged to take appropriate action to report the incident. These actions might include: calling Campus Safety; photographing the incident, identifying the perpetrator, or intervening if safe to do so; writing for one of the student news publications; or, sponsoring, attending or participating in educational programming, or encouraging your peers to do the same.

Subject: A Bias-Related Incident
Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:52:21 -0800
From: Jeanne Noda <jeanne_noda@hmc.edu>

In accordance with the Claremont Colleges policy in bias-related incidents, I am forwarding this message from the Scripps College Dean of Students:

"This morning, Sunday November 4, 2007, a student in Dorsey Hall discovered her write and wipe board covered in obscenities, including racist epithets.

We are a supportive, caring community and bias related incidents will not be tolerated. Any time a community member becomes aware of a racist, sexist, heterosexist bias incident on our campus, a potential bias incident or hate crime, or any other type of crime, they are urged to appropriate action to combat the incident."

A record of these incidents is kept in the Dean of Students' Office for review by members of the HMC community.
Jeanne Noda