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The vandalism discovered by a resident assistant at Hillside Hall on Pompton Road in Wayne early on Friday, Feb. 18 was a "repugnant and cowardly act of hate on our campus," WPU President Richard J. Helldobler wrote in a letter to the community.
Maintenance staff "quickly cleaned and painted the walls," he noted.
In addition to a campus police investigation, Helldobler said the incident was "referred to the campus Bias Prevention and Education Team (BPET), a group of staff and faculty who support students who may have been victims of bias incidents."
"The words and images discovered [Friday] immediately produce feelings of disgust, shock, and sadness," the president wrote. "I am appalled to see such expressions of hate on our campus.
"Anti-Semitism, racism, and hatred of any kind are rampant in our nation, and they strike fear not just in the group and individuals targeted, including those from marginalized groups," he noted.
"People who engage in this type of activity in secluded places in the dark of night are cowards and don't hate their targets as much as themselves," Helldobler wrote.
"These are often desperate acts of those who are afraid of losing their power and privilege," he added. "These acts of hate are not ones that we as a university will stand for [or] tolerate.
"I condemn this act of hate and will not allow this to negatively impact who we are as a university[,] one that thrives on values of equity, inclusion and justice."
Anyone with any information that could help identify those responsible is asked to contact the William Paterson University Police Detective Bureau: (973) 720-3114.
You could also call the WPU police main number (24/7): (973) 720-2301. Or email Director of Public Safety and University Police Charles Lowe: lowec1@wpunj.edu.
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