Penn: Three Oklahoma Residents Sent Racist Messages to Black Students
The University of Pennsylvania has issued an update on the racist online messages sent to black freshman at the university that led to an uproar last Friday following the election of Donald Trump.
Penn president Amy Gutmann, executive vice president Craig Carnaroli, and provost Vincent Price said in the statement that there were no Penn students associated with the messages, which were sent through a GroupMe group message titled “Mud Men.”
Instead, investigators confirmed that the racist messages were traced to three Oklahoma residents, including one student at the University of Oklahoma. That student has been suspended temporarily pending a full investigation.
Attached is my statement regarding the UPenn incident which was reported earlier today. – DBo pic.twitter.com/2Ez1TQPfB4
— David Boren (@DavidBorenOK) November 12, 2016
Update on Racist Messages Directed to Penn Students https://t.co/a2ATwe566p pic.twitter.com/mMPUvsfHYM
— Penn (@Penn) November 13, 2016
The investigation continues to unfold regarding the racist group messages, which were sent through GroupMe, a mobile messaging app. The group, which detailed an event titled “Daily Lynching,” has been a source of unease, anxiety and frustration at the university. Mayor Jim Kenney condemned the messages in a statement this past weekend.
The racist cyber attack is one of several disturbing incidents that have come to light following Trump’s election. On Friday night, an assistant professor at Drexel University found a message keyed into her car that read “It’s our pussy now, bitch,” according to PhillyVoice. Last week, two swastikas were spray painted on a building in South Philadelphia.
Penn officials said the university’s primary concern following the incident “remains with the students who were the recipients of this dreadful hatred” and that staff members, including all deans, are working to provide necessary support for affected students.
“Finally, we call on everyone to recognize that the events of the past few days are a tragic reminder of the overt and reprehensible racism that continues to exist within some segments of our society, and that we all need to unite together as a community and a society to oppose,” the statement read. “We are deeply saddened that Penn students were the victims of this hate, to which absolutely nobody should be subjected.”
Penn police will continue to work with the FBI and law enforcement in Oklahoma as the investigation unfolds.
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