Racist, discriminatory acts spark debate
By Natasha Marar
News Editor
January 16, 2008
 The University of Windsor is responding to several acts of racism and discrimination that erupted on campus this past November.
University president Ross Paul issued an open letter to the University on Nov. 28 condemning the incidents that occurred in the Neal Education Building and the Ianni Faculty of Law Building.
“This is the first time that I’m aware that we’ve had anything happen in the Faculty of Education,” said Faculty of Education dean, Pat Rogers, of the public display of racism.
The Nov. 21 Faculty of Education event involved racist graffiti in both the male washrooms on the main and third floors. “We are not saying what [graffiti messages and symbols] they were publicly because that may hinder the investigation,” explained Rogers.
Rogers did say that the graffiti depicted anti-Semitic symbols, made use of the word lynched, and employed racial threats against the faculty’s acting associate dean, Clinton Beckford. The graffiti was removed from the washrooms immediately.
“There was more than one kind of handwriting. It is probably the work of more than one person,” speculated Rogers. “It’s time we’ve got rid of this. This is disgusting,” she added, explaining that no arrests have been made by Campus Community Police, who are investigating the crime. Rogers finds it particularly upsetting that it is future educators who “harbour these horrible thoughts.”
Discriminatory incidents have also taken place in the Faculty of Law Building, which Paul described in his address as “involving abusive language and intimidating behaviour towards gay students at the Faculty of Law.”
In a similar fashion, graffiti was found in one of the building’s bathrooms, but was quickly repainted. “We took action to remedy that situation right away. Even before Ross Paul sent out his letter...we had sent out a letter here in the faculty,” said Faculty of Law dean, Bruce Elman.
“It’s difficult to describe these things...we are still trying to ascertain what exactly happened and in what context,” he added.
While the details of the crime are still unfolding, Elman assured that the Windsor Star mistakenly reported that “Anti-gay posters were found plastered in the Faculty of Law building,” in their Dec. 3 article on the incident.
“The Windsor Star talks about posters being plastered when, in fact, it was a poster that was used as a prop in a class. That poster became the subject of concern for some people because they didn’t know what it was used for,” said Elman of the display that used for a student presentation on gay marriage.
There are still many unanswered questions in the investigation. “We don’t know whether someone left that poster purposely. We don’t know whether the graffiti writers are law students,” said Elman.
Elman reassured, however, that the faculty has reached out to the gay and lesbian students in the Law School. “We want everybody to feel comfortable in the Law School, to feel it’s a safe space and that they are as much a part of the Windsor Law community as everyone else.”
Unmentioned in Paul’s email response to the University community was a situation involving an artistic display on Huron Church Road by a Visual Arts student that consisted of two scaffolds constructed out of wood with rope nooses hanging from it.
“A friend and I discovered that six nooses were hanging…on University property. Along with this hatred display was a sign that stated “God bless America,” said distraught University student Monique Natalie Phillips, who brought the display to the attention of the Visual Arts Department.
“How is art portrayed through hanging six nooses? Especially when...six black boys in Jena, Louisiana [Jena6], were placed in jail for getting into a fight with white boys over the hanging of a noose,” she added. “It is ridiculous that an educator would not realize the significance of placing such an item outside, in a city where strong racial ties exist.”
The art student declined to be interviewed by The Lance or provide her name, but expressed in an email, “If someone wants to believe what they choose to believe and see things only from their perspective then there is nothing I can do.”
“I heard about it afterwards,” said Rogers of the display which was removed shortly after it caught the attention of some concerned students.
Brenda Francis Pelkey, director of the School of Visual Arts, explained that the sculpting class assignment was not orchestrated in a racist way, but that there has been much discussion within the department regarding the display. “It was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” said Pelkey.
Francine Hurlehy, assistant dean for the Faculty of Law, was also aware of incident and agrees that the display was unintentional. “I think it was an unfortunate event all around. If you are trying to make a point you make sure that the point people are getting is the point you are trying to make,” she remarked.
The University, however, is taking the racist and discriminatory occurrences in the Faculties of Education and Law seriously by employing a variety of response methods.
“Our goal is firstly to look at our internal policies...[and] to create an environment that is inclusive not exclusive,” said Hurlehy. The faculty will hold a meeting toady to discuss the Law incidents.
On Feb. 1, the Faculty of Education will also be hosting an Anti-Discrimination Day, which will offer mandatory presentations, workshops and poster sessions for their 800 faculty, staff and students.
Two workshops during Anti-Discrimination Day will be led by University Human Rights Commissioner Cheryl Henshaw, whose office is also addressing last semester’s acts through events during March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the publishing of a journal called march21.
“We have a team of students working with the Human Rights Office to publish a journal called march21. We will accept poems, stories, photography and art work,” said Henshaw.
Reaction to racism and discrimination on campus is not foreign to University administration.
Last year University president Ross Paul commissioned Campbell, Allen Consultants Inc. to produce a report in response to concerns regarding racism and discrimination in the dress code implemented by the student pub, The Basement.
The document titled, “A Report to the President on Matters of Racism and Discrimination at the University of Windsor,” also referred to as the Allen Report, summarized that “We could not conclude that the dress code was the product of overt racism or mal-intent. It was poorly thought out and poorly researched.” Essentially, they did not find racism and discrimination to be purposeful or characteristic of all University practice.
The University acted on the recommendations of the Allen Report with the creation of an Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.
“We are hoping that the committee will take a really broad look of racism,” said Rogers.
“We are all confronted by our own prejudices at various times in our life. We have to confront [our prejudices] and challenge it.”
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