Baylor reports race-related
incidents on Election Day

WACO, Texas (ABP) — Baylor University police responded to three apparently racially related on-campus incidents on Election Day.

Late on the afternoon of Nov. 4, officials at the Texas Baptist school were notified a single clothes-line rope resembling a noose was seen in a campus tree.

Later in the day, police investigated a small fire in a barbecue pit next to Brooks Flats residential community. Allegedly, several Obama/Biden campaign signs were burned.

That evening, police were called to a disturbance outside Penland Hall men’s dormitory, where a shouting match occurred between two small groups of white and African-American students.

“These events are deeply disturbing to us and are antithetical to the mission of Baylor University,” Interim President David Garland said in an e-mail to all Baylor students. “We categorically denounce and will not tolerate racist acts of any kind on our campus.”

Garland cited university policies regarding civility and respect. Baylor’s eight-page civil-rights policy says the university “does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, nationality or ethnic origin, sex, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services.”

“We are committed to maintaining the safety and unity of our campus community,” Garland said. “We wish to celebrate and strengthen inclusiveness, understanding and acceptance of all members of the Baylor family.”

Garland encouraged faculty, staff and students to participate in ongoing dialogues sponsored by Baylor’s multicultural activities department.

African Americans make up about 7 percent of Baylor’s current student enrollment. The university’s student body is 72 percent Anglo.

“We believe that the incidents on our campus yesterday were irresponsible acts committed by a few individuals,” Garland concluded. “As a community, we condemn these terribly unfortunate events that do not represent the values we share as members of the Baylor family.”

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