NEWS

Investigation ongoing into racial graffiti at USM

Ellen Ciurczak
American Staff Writer

University of Southern Mississippi police officials say an investigation is ongoing into who wrote a racist note on a Cook Library bathroom stall sometime over the weekend of Feb. 12-14.

News in brief

University Police Chief Bob Hopkins did not reveal the contents of the note, but said workers from the physical plant had removed it from the wall.

He said the handwritten note appeared sometime between Feb. 12, when the bathroom was last cleaned, and Feb. 14, when it was reported to police.

"We got a telephone call," he said. "We took pictures and we did an investigation."

He said police are looking at surveillance video from near the bathroom to try to determine who wrote the note. He said reviewing the footage would take some time, as there were three days worth of video to go through.

University officials issued a statement Monday in regard to the incident.

"The University strongly condemns any communication that demeans any person or group and is committed to creating and maintaining an environment that welcomes, encourages and supports its diverse community," the statement read.

Dean of Students Eddie Holloway was unavailable Monday for comment, but the Southern Miss student newspaper, The Student Printz reported he made some comments last week during a university Black History Month event.

At the History Department's "A Crime That's So Unjust" event Feb. 15, Holloway took questions about the incident and reassured students measures were in place to prevent anything similar from occurring in the future.

"This incident will be addressed," he said. "(We'll) have more or heightened security to make sure nothing like this happens again."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the University Police Department at (601) 266-4986.