| The incident at the Pariski Center, which houses campus mailboxes, meeting rooms and one of the college’s main cafeterias, coincides with the week of Williams’ final exams for the fall semester and the end of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. |
WILLIAMSTON, Massachusetts – Williams College is investigating the defacement of posters calling attention to Israelis held hostage by the terrorist group Hamas.
In a message to the campus community Thursday evening, Williams President Maude Mandel said the graffiti was found Wednesday night in the Baresky Student Center and included language that “supports violence against Israelis.”
“Any defacement of the posters is disrespectful, but advocating violence in this case is a violation of the college’s values and Williams’ policies,” Mandel wrote. “We have removed the defaced posters and are seeking information about the individuals responsible.”
Mandel’s letter included a link to a page on Williams’ website outlining various policies, including a “campus publications” policy and one about “campus protest.”
The publication policy states in part: “The college seeks to ensure that all students are able to express themselves freely.” “At the same time, Williams has a responsibility to ensure that no member of this community is intimidated, harassed, or subjected to a hostile educational or work environment. While allowing the greatest possible scope for expression, the College may in specific instances remove posts” that are deemed to have this effect. In cases where the Williams Code of Conduct may be violated, the College will also pursue disciplinary action.”
As for the protest policy, it includes the following statement: “No single person or group of persons may prevent others from expressing themselves publicly (for example, preventing an invited speaker from being heard),” and “Protests may not endanger the physical safety of any person.” “
The incident at the Pariski Center, which houses campus mailboxes, meeting rooms and one of the college’s main cafeterias, coincides with the week of Williams’ final exams for the fall semester and the end of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.
It also comes at a time when numerous reports of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have emerged on college campuses across the country, including an incident last month near the University of Vermont, where three college-age men speaking Arabic and wearing keffiyehs were shot in the Street. By a Burlington resident.
“The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has made clear that colleges and universities have a responsibility to respond to incidents of discriminatory harassment that create a hostile environment,” Mandel wrote in her email Thursday. “In principle, we will embrace Williams’ ethical and educational commitment to maximizing the space for free expression—including expression that others may find objectionable—while setting and supporting boundaries that ensure an education free from hostility and harassment. It is possible, and perhaps necessary, to find “Ways to disagree passionately on topics such as the conflict in the Middle East without descending into incitement to violence.”
Her email included the phone number for the college’s Campus Safety Services office with a plea for anyone with relevant information to contact authorities.
He also noted that campus staff, including the chaplain’s office and the Davis Center, part of the school’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, are available to members of the college community who need to talk about the incident.
Mandel ended her letter by reaffirming the college’s commitment to the free discussion of ideas.
“The college will continue to support programs that promote thinking, study and debate about such issues,” she wrote. “But we will do so within a set of rules aimed at ensuring that everyone can live and learn here free from hostility and harassment.”
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The recent surge in vandalism targeting Israelis at Williams College has sparked widespread concern and condemnation. Reports of vandalism and calls for violence against Israeli students have created an atmosphere of fear and tension on campus. This troubling trend has garnered attention both locally and nationally, prompting calls for increased security measures and a stronger stance against hate speech and threats of violence. The targeting of individuals based on their nationality or ethnicity is deeply concerning and goes against the values of equality and inclusivity that Williams College strives to uphold. The need for a swift and effective response to these acts of vandalism and aggression is paramount in ensuring the safety and well-being of all students at the college.