San Diego State University President Elliot Hirshman sent out an email Tuesday morning in response to "hateful and bigoted messages" found in an Adams Humanities building restroom on campus.
His statement comes just a month after anti-Muslim flyers were distributed on campus, sparking protests.
In an email to SDSU students, faculty and staff, Hirshman said:
Sometime yesterday, hateful and bigoted messages targeting people from a specific country were discovered in a restroom inside the Adams Humanities building on our campus. Our facilities services staff immediately removed these hateful messages. Members of our Counseling and Psychological Services office are available for any campus community members who saw these messages and wish to discuss their feelings about this incident.
Jennifer Rikard, director of SDSU's Counseling and Psychological Services, said her department consults with faculty, staff and administrators about how to support the students and how to approach them on difficult issues.
Her department also deals with students on a one-to-one basis if they need individual counseling.
"It would be an individual plan tailored to the person depending on what they are struggling with," Rikard said. "Sometimes, if you are talking about gender or culture or ethnicity, that can hit pretty close to home. It’s very personal, so maybe it is triggering other things that have happened."
The university said the messages were removed right away by facilities services staff.
UC San Diego has also dealt with recent racial incidents. In April, there were racist comments written in chalk on walkways. UC San Diego issued a statement on April 11:
A series of incidents occurring on college and university campuses across the United States have reflected our nation’s current divisive political climate. Unfortunately, late Friday evening graffiti promoting the deportation of undocumented immigrants and the construction of a wall on the border of Mexico was discovered chalked on UC San Diego’s campus sidewalks. This graffiti runs counter to our campus values of equity and inclusion. We value diversity and respect for all cultures.
SDSU and UC San Diego are both on summer break. Counseling and Psychological Services at SDSU, however, are available year-round and can be reached at (619) 594-5220 or psycserv@mail.sdsu.edu.
