BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A group of faculty members at IU is turning a racially motivated incident into a learning tool for students.
On Monday, flyers connected to a white supremacist group were found on the Bloomington campus.
Dozens of those flyers were found posted on the doors of minority staff and faculty members.
In a statement, IU’s Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel, said the flyers were clearly meant to “intimidate, threaten, scare and provoke anger” on campus.
The action appeared to be coordinated as the flyers showed up on at least 30 campuses across the country.
“It’s one thing to post general fliers out in public, we all enjoy first amendment protection, but it’s another thing when specific individuals appear to be targeted,” IU Police Captain Andy Stephenson said.
Because the flyers didn’t explicitly threaten anyone, investigators say a crime technically hadn’t been committed. However, IU police are encouraging students to report any further incidents.
A group connected to white supremacy has claimed responsibility for the campaign.
“It’s concerning to folks on campus, however at the same time we prefer not to give this group an audience,” Stephenson said.
Faculty for IU’s African American Studies and African Diaspora Studies department will now use the flyers as part of a discussion on race. Department Fiscal Officer Michael Brooks says the faculty viewed the incident as an opportunity for students to engage in thoughtful discussion.
“They’re going to turn it around and instead of feeling hated they’re going to use that material as a teaching tool in their classroom,” Brooks said.
