Black Student Faces Racist Threats, School Suggests He Leave

Racist Incidents at Saint Mary's College

• 💡 A Black student, identified as David, experienced a freshman year marred by racist incidents at Saint Mary's College of California.
• 🗣️ Classmates shouted racial slurs, including the n-word, outside his dorm, and threats were carved into a communal bathroom door.
• ⚠️ The university and local police are investigating these incidents as hate crimes.

Inadequate School Response

• 📉 David reported the incidents to resident assistants and campus advisors, but felt little action was taken, with promises of change going unfulfilled.
• 📧 A campus-wide alert was issued after similar threats were found, which David's father believes was a move to cover institutional liability.
• 🚫 The school's president, Roger Thompson, reportedly advised David's parents to consider moving him out of the school, a suggestion seen as allowing a toxic culture to persist.

Calls for Accountability and Action

• ❓ David's father questioned why perpetrators were not being identified and disciplined, especially given potential campus camera footage.
• ⚖️ David declined to move dorms or withdraw, with his parents demanding a zero-tolerance policy for racism and mandatory anti-bias training.
• 💬 A university spokesperson stated that officials are working on addressing incidents with meetings, patrols, and resources, but David's parents found the statement to be a lawyerly, non-concrete response.

Expert and Parental Perspectives

• 🚀 Dr. Rashad Richey and Sharon Reed discussed the situation, with Richey suggesting a lawsuit based on accreditation grounds.
• 👏 Sharon Reed criticized the school's response as a "lawyerly statement" and suggested the need for immediate action, even proposing segregated dorms as a temporary measure.
• 💔 The parents expressed disappointment that the school has not responded to their demands for weeks and that officials have yet to identify or discipline those responsible.