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
For most of his time as a public servant, Sean O’Keefe G’78 adhered to a few guiding principles: Step up when someone calls upon you to serve. Be open to anything. Challenge yourself. Those values helped O’Keefe navigate a career…
Jorge Morales ’26, a double major in history and anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with a minor in English and textual studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the highly competitive…
Syracuse University and global esports and gaming organization Gen.G have opened general registration at campustakeover.gg for its first Campus Takeover Sept. 20-21. The two-day conference will bring students and administrators to Syracuse to highlight career opportunities within the esports industry…
For the first time in the 12-year history of the program, both nominees from the Whitman School of Management have been selected as recipients of the 2025 AWESOME Excellence in Education Scholarship, a prestigious honor awarded to top-performing undergraduate women…
The Whitman School of Management’s Distinguished Professor Johan Wiklund was recently listed as one of the most prolific business and economic research scholars globally, according to “What We Know About the Science of Science in Business and Economics? Insights From…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
