To: The Wellesley College Community
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: Rejecting hate speech
Date: December 11, 2023
This weekend, a racial slur against Black people was written on a whiteboard in a common space in a residence hall following a public event. As soon as this was reported, the whiteboard was removed, and Campus Police are investigating.
Let me be as direct and emphatic as I can: There is no place for expressions of hate on our campus. As I have said repeatedly in different contexts, we are committed to creating an inclusive campus environment where all students feel safe and welcomed. We will not allow incidents of hate to slow our work of building and sustaining a community that treats everyone with dignity and respect.
I am grateful to the student who reported this incident and to members of the Student Life team, who responded quickly.
The College takes these issues very seriously, and we encourage community members to report any instances of discrimination or harassment—whether based on race, ethnicity, national origin, shared ancestry, religion, or any other protected basis—through our existing channels. This includes alerting our Nondiscrimination Office.
Our Student Life team is available to provide support and resources to affected students.
