Critical Incident Message – Offensive Email

Posted by webcomm on Thursday, August 1, 2019 in Responses.

Vanderbilt is committed to fostering diversity and a community in which all feel equal, valued and included. The university is investigating an email that was sent to approximately 50 students on July 31 that promotes racist stereotypes that mock or demean people of African descent.  The email and its intent to harm are antithetical to our values of equity, diversity and inclusion. We condemn and will not tolerate acts intended to promote division or fear.

We have determined and have blocked the sending address, which was not affiliated with the university and did not contain any personally identifying information about the perpetrator, from sending further emails to Vanderbilt email accounts. We are assessing other preventive measures, taking action to address the incident with the affected members of our community, and we have made the appropriate authorities aware of the incident. Any additional information about this incident will be shared on this website as it becomes available.

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Tags: Response