Western Washington University is investigating Islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric posted on campus this month.
In an Oct. 26 letter to the Western community, Assistant Vice President for Access, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Litav Langley condemned the incidents, as well as recent anti-gay, anti-trans and anti-Black vandalism in the residence halls.
“These hateful actions are unacceptable and have no place at Western,” Langley said. “If you are writing such messages or engaging in this vandalism, stop.”
Western Associated Students President Sargun Handa made a statement on Oct. 25 regarding an Islamophobic poster hung in Bond Hall on Oct. 8. The poster was allegedly in response to ongoing protests in Iran and had a decade-old photo stating, “No democracy, we just want Islam.”
“Islamophobia and anti-Iranian misinformation have no place at WWU,” Handa said on Instagram. “We as a community have the responsibility to fight against misinformation and provide a safe space in every corner on campus.”
WWU Hillel — the university’s Jewish ethnic-cultural club — posted on Instagram on Oct. 20 regarding antisemitic drawings and slogans on the Viking Union Free Speech Board.
“Any conduct that foments hate and furthers antisemitic tropes or beliefs is repugnant and has no place at Western Washington University or anywhere,” the organization posted.
All incidents were reported to the Bias Response Team — a team of more than a dozen Western administrators. A “bias incident,” as defined by the university, is anything that may contribute to an unsafe environment where an individual, group or community may be negatively impacted.
University Police is currently investigating the incidents, Langley said.
The university has a history of antisemitic, Islamophobic, racist, homophobic and transphobic incidents, with several events occurring in the last decade.
Between spring 2016 and winter 2017, the university reported 11 incidents of antisemitism on campus. In 2017, three flyers with Islamophobic messaging were found on Western’s campus. In 2018, the university discovered books defaced with swastikas and other imagery in the Jewish section of the library. Also in 2018, a slew of racist and homophobic graffiti appeared around campus.
In response to these events, Western created the Task Force on Preventing and Responding to Antisemitism which recommended that the university develop clear institutional policies, define antisemitism, create transparent reporting and response protocols, develop curriculum to educate Western and its community, engage the community in conversations about equity and inclusion and include antisemitism prevention in existing trainings.
In the 2019-20 academic year, President Sabah Randhawa created the Structural Equity and Bias Response Team to respond to incidents like the ones that occurred this month.
The bias response team is working to support impacted students.
“To our students and colleagues who are Jewish, Muslim, BIPOC, disabled, queer and trans — including those of you who hold multiple of these identities — you belong here,” Langley said. “As do all in our community who hold marginalized identities. Western is better because you are here.”
Students and the Western community are encouraged to report any further incidents to the bias response team.
