Thorneloe University uses 'hate crime' vandalism to talk about racism

Early last week, culprits defaced signs posted on the office doors of two faculty members at Thorneloe University in Sudbury, Ontario.

Thorneloe is one of threeaffiliate schools on the Laurentian University campus.

Two of the signs, which stated "A Feminist Professor Works Here",were ripped. The other poster had #BlackLivesMatter on it. The vandal wrote#AllLivesMatter in pen on thatsign.

In a statement, school officials callthe vandalism a hate crime, which they claim is both anti-feminist and anti-Black.

The school condemns the vandalism says president RobertDerrenbacker. He says Thorneloe wants to send a message that hatred is not welcome there.

DerrenbackersaysThorneloeofficials are now working to make sure the campus is a safe and welcoming environment for students and staff who may be concerned.

The suspect responsible for the incident has not been caught, however school security is conducting an investigation into the vandalism.

This is the first incident of a hate-crime on the school's campus, that Derrenbacker can recall in his more than seven years as president.

Teachable moment

Derrenbacker says Thorneloe wants to unite behind shared values.

"We also think that this is a good opportunity for us to explore with our students and our residents the importance of fostering a community where we all sharein the responsibility to uphold the values of diversity, inclusion and respect," Derrenbacker said.

Professors are already bringing up the incident with their studentsin class, "to use as an opportunity to discuss what it means to be an inclusive and diverse and respectful learning community."

Specific target

There was no way the posters wereaccidentally ripped, says NatalieKouri-Towea professor in Thorneloe's Women's, Gender and Sexuality studies.

"It was a pretty specific target of those two messages," she said/

She said no other posters in the hallway of faculty offices were touched.

Kouri-Towe says she's brought up the conversation with her students in class.

It's important not to allow hatred to be normalized in our society.-NatalieKouri-Towe,Thorneloe'sWomen's, Gender and Sexuality studies professor

Students told her they don't have a lot of space on campus to have open conversationsabout larger issues like racism and diversity.

"I would like to see larger communities, campus communities really taking seriously the way that a climate of hatred gets fostered very rapidly and can easily take over the space of a university with these kinds of messages," she said.

Kouri-Towenotesthat students,staff and faculty all play an important role in fostering and mobilizing positive messages.

"It's important not to allow hatred to be normalized in our society, that it's important for us to continuouslytake a stand against all forms of hatred in this way."