Eleven hate bias incidents have been reported at the University of Maryland since August, according to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s log.
Of the eleven, seven of the incidents involved offensive language targeting race and national origin, three of which were directed toward university employees or residential staff.
By this time last November, there had been 13 reported hate bias incidents in the log. And by the end of the academic year, there were 40.
The first of the three, reported on Aug. 26, included a person making racial remarks against the Latinx community after bumping into a university employee on campus. The next day, during move-in, a parent in a fraternity or sorority house made comments referencing gangs and thugs to three African American residential staff.
On Sept. 30, a student worker reported being subject to a “hostile work environment,” which included racist comments.
[Read more: RHA and UMPD form committee aimed at improving students’ relationship with police]
The other four offensive racial language were directed toward students.
On Sept. 9, a sign was left above a trash can in a student work space that read “Please Speak English.” On Aug. 27 and Oct. 16, students reported offensive language written on white boards outside their rooms in residence halls.
The students who reported Oct. 16 said the writing had been left on three separate occasions. On Aug. 27, a racial slur was also reported to have been etched onto a bathroom stall wall in a dorm.
A new committee the Residence Hall Association and the University of Maryland Police Department formed this fall is considering banning whiteboards to curb similar incidents.
[Read more: Armed with drums, pride flags and signs, hundreds drown out sexist demonstrators at UMD]
On Oct. 16, it was reported that someone in the library used aggressive language towards two African American students.
The remaining four hate bias incidents included anti-LGBT rhetoric and other harassment.
At least two reports of anti-LGBT language etched on an apartment door were made on Sept. 16. On Sept. 4, it was reported that a student’s name and photo was posted on a white nationalist forum targeting Jews and people who identify as LGBT.
And at least three people reported an incident on Sept. 19, two days after a religious group called Key of David came on campus with sexist signs two days before. In response, hundreds of students formed a counterprotest.
“Hate speech has no place at UMD,” Student Government Association President Ireland Lesley tweeted in a statement after the protest. “Seeing the campus community band together against a demonstration gives me hope.”
