Campus & Community

Update on Investigation of Racist Language Found on Package in Day Hall

Tuesday, September 8, 2020, By News Staff

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I am writing this afternoon to provide an update on our investigation regarding the package with a racial slur written on it that was discovered Friday in Day Hall.

At this time, we are confident that the graffiti did not occur at Day Hall. Since the student worker made the discovery on Friday, we have spent hours reviewing security camera footage. From the moment the package left the UPS truck to the time the student worker noticed the slur, the package was always within the view of security cameras. We have watched every minute of video from that three-hour window, and at no point did anyone disturb the package. It is most likely that the package arrived on campus with the racial slur already written on the box.

In addition to coordinating with the Syracuse Police Department, the University is now working with UPS, who delivered the package, and Amazon, from whom the shipment originated, to determine when in the shipping process an individual may have had the opportunity to vandalize the package. Simultaneously, we are working with all delivery partners (UPS, USPS and others) to enhance our protocols around receiving and distributing packages.

I am grateful to the student worker who quickly notified their supervisor to report this troubling discovery. It is important that we remain vigilant as a community to reject hate—in all its forms—whether on our campus or beyond.

Syracuse University will not tolerate racist acts of any kind. If you experienced hate or know someone who has, please take action by calling the Department of Public Safety (DPS) directly at 315.443.2224. If you would like to anonymously report NON-EMERGENCY information to DPS, you can use the Silent Witness tool. Any bias-motivated incident reported to DPS will be posted on our public site, so that our campus community can remain informed. You can also report a bias incident and receive support through the Stop Bias website.

Sincerely,

Bobby Maldonado
Chief, Department of Public Safety