Letter from UO president about swastika vandalism | Crime

The following is a letter UO President Richard Lariviere sent to students after a swastika was found painted on the floor of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Alliance office on campus:

Dear University Community:

Early this morning, we discovered a large swastika had been painted on the carpet in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning Alliance (LGBTQA) Student Union Office in the Erb Memorial Union. It is reprehensible that such a hateful, cowardly act occurred on our campus.

When one group is targeted, it threatens all of us and must be addressed directly and swiftly.

Unfortunately, these types of events can and do happen, even today. When they do, it reinforces our imperative as a community to band together against hate and intolerance of any kind.

We must do all that we can to come together as a community to fight such acts of intolerance and to provide support to those affected as we deal with the aftermath of this event. 

This act of vandalism is not about exercising free speech or having challenging, difficult conversations; this is about hate and vandalism.

We will vigorously pursue all avenues available to us to hold the perpetrators accountable for this cowardly act.  We will continue to work with the Department of Public Safety and student leaders to ensure that we are doing all that we can to preserve the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff. 

Richard W. Lariviere

President, University of Oregon