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MIT investigating messages of hate, violence found on campus over the past week
President Sally Kornbluth said the incidents, which did not appear connected, include two hand-drawn swastikas, a sign wishing violence on a conservative non-profit, and an email list of “messages celebrating violence."
MIT police are investigating numerous instances of hateful speech and images around campus, President Sally Kornbluth said in a letter to the MIT community Friday.
Kornbluth said the incidents — two hand-drawn swastikas, a sign wishing violence on a conservative non-profit, and cases of graffiti and an email list of “messages celebrating violence” — do not seem to be connected.
“Such corrosive incidents have become commonplace in our society, and they can invite violence. Together, we must make sure they have no place at MIT,” Kornbluth said.
In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of far-right activist Charlie Kirk last week, Kornbluth said the hateful messages targeting people’s views, beliefs, or identity are “even more concerning.”
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“Belonging to the MIT community is a privilege, not a right, and it comes with the responsibility to treat each other with decency and respect,” Kornbluth said.
The incidents are under investigation by MIT police, and whoever is responsible will face an appropriate disciplinary process, Kornbluth said.
MIT police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
BU issues campus-wide alert for ‘disturbing email’
On Sept. 11, the day after Kirk was killed, Boston University issued a campus-wide alert regarding a “disturbing email” sent to some members of the community.
An investigation by BU police and local and federal law enforcement determined the potential threat was “not credible” and did not pose a risk to the community, according to the alert.
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“As always, the safety and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority,” the alert concluded.
While BU police did not say the email was related to Kirk’s assassination, it highlights rising tensions on college campuses in the wake of the incident. Boston University College Republicans recently penned a letter to the school’s president saying conservatives on campus have been “silenced by fear of social intimidation, academic penalty, or hostility.”
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