A student at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California, has been the target of repeated hate crimes from other students, according to a report from ABC7 News.
After receiving little to no support from campus advisors, the freshman student, David, and his parents Tia Hunnicutt and James Brickley notified ABC7 News of David’s experiences with racism and harassment from other students in his residence hall. According to the family, a group of students have shouted curse words and racial slurs outside of David’s dorm room. David also found the words “Kill Niggers” carved into a communal bathroom door on his floor.
Following this incident, administrators at Saint Mary’s College issued an alert to students, faculty, and staff to notify the campus community they were investigating the incidents as hate crimes. Saint Mary’s College President Roger J. Thompson then met with Hunnicutt and Brickley.
“He said we should think about moving David out of the school,” Hunnicutt told ABC7 News. “Not just out of the dorm – out of the school. That was his solution to a hate crime.”
“Why did we have to go to ABC7 News to report these hate crimes?” Brickley added. “Why aren’t the perpetrators in these crimes the ones that are kicked out of school? Make it a safer and happier environment for everybody.”
One day after the ABC7 News story broke, President Thompson released a statement, stating that the news channel did not provide the full context surrounding the college’s response to David’s reports.
“Let me make this clear: Saint Mary’s does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or acts of hate in any form,” President Thompson wrote. “We will continue our efforts to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all community members.”
As part of their investigation into the hate crimes, President Thompson stated that investigators have conducted several meetings and door-knock visits with students in David’s residence hall, issued a notice to the campus community describing the incidents, and scheduled extra patrols around campus to ensure safety and deter further incidents. President Thompson also mentioned his meeting with Hunnicut and Brickley.
“I tried, in this meeting, to help the family understand the time required to gather information, conduct fact-finding, conduct interviews, and pursue other investigatory steps,” President Thompson wrote. “After my meeting with the parents, other campus representatives emailed and called the parents to provide updates. To date, unfortunately, we have not received a response.”
Regarding President Thompson’s statement, Hunicutt said, “I think that’s a beautiful, very lawyerly statement they’ve crafted. But I heard nothing concrete in terms of what steps they are actually taking.”
No one has yet to be publicly identified, charged, or disciplined in connection to the hate crimes committed against David, who despite his experiences, has no plans to transfer.
