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February 23, 2022 5:14 pm

String of Hate Incidents at Massachusetts College Continues With Latest Swastika Vandalism

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    avatar by Dion J. Pierre

    The Student Center of Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts. Photo: Daderot/Wikimedia Commons

    Another swastika was found at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, a spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday, following a string of hate incidents that have unsettled some community members.

    The small liberal arts school has been disturbed by antisemitic vandalism at its North Campus Residence Hall (NCRH) for several weeks, including an incident last Wednesday when a swastika was graffitied in a laundry room.

    After another hateful message threatening Black students and specifying the date February 22 was discovered, President Kenneth Quigley temporarily invoked a remote learning option and suspended in-person classes on Tuesday. Students will have the option of attending class remotely until the end of this week.

    “We were notified of another drawn swastika discovered this morning, February 22, in a residence hall,” Curry College said Tuesday in a statement. Milton Police Department “immediately responded and continues to investigate all incidents.”

    It continued, “We are determined to keep our campus a safe, welcoming, and diverse place of learning. We will continue to diligently address these matters while also offering support and care to our community, and importantly to any and all individuals directly affected.”

    On February 10, Jewish students told the student-run Currier Times that administrators should enhance the college’s security measures, emphasizing that antisemitism on campus has been a persistent problem.

    “They know the time and the place but can never identify who it is,” freshman Kaitlyn Follis said. “Having security cameras in various public places would be helpful.”

    Another student, Max Silverman, told Currier Times that the incidents are “poor representation of Curry’s campus and community.”

    “I am Jewish, and I don’t feel safe and protected here at Curry right now because of the 20 something swastikas, language, and comments that have been written on numerous walls in mainly NCRH, the Student Center, and in the Miller Field House as well,” he added.

    Writing to students and staff last week, Curry College President Kenneth Quigley noted that Massachusetts’s Civil Rights Act “protects against hate crimes, including threats, harassment, violence, and other bias-motivated conduct.”

    “Perpetrators of hate crimes are typically brought under criminal prosecution and, in some cases, can also be prosecuted civilly. Criminal sanctions include imprisonment up to 2.5 years,” Quigley said, adding that the college will reward $10,000 to anyone who discloses information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or group who graffitied the messages and symbols.

    He continued, “To many of us, these incidents are deeply personal and frightening, and your words mattered. While we work on keeping our campus safe, we also look ahead to the work that needs to be done as a community to make sure Curry is an inclusive, welcoming, and safe place of learning for all.”

    The Currier Times reported on Friday that former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis will advise the college, which currently enrolls just over 2,400 graduate and undergraduate students, on how to improve campus security.

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