Update on Racial Act

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

Yesterday, we wrote to you to inform you about an incident that took place in a residence hall and which involved vandalism and the scrawling of racist language in a room that was shared by two roommates.

We’re writing now to let you know that a student—one of the residents of that residential unit—has been arrested and charged with ethnic intimidation, institutional vandalism and criminal mischief.  After a preliminary arraignment, the student was remanded to Northampton County Prison.  These charges will go to the district justice early next week and a formal arraignment will be scheduled.

The student has also been placed under interim suspension and is barred from campus until this issue is resolved. 

Several administrators have reached out to the student who was victimized by this behavior and are offering their support and assistance.

We commend the efforts of the Lehigh University Police Department, which moved quickly to conduct an investigation and bring appropriate charges. The LUPD will continue to work with the Northampton County District Attorney’s office through the prosecution of this matter.

This type of behavior can make students feel unsafe, and will not be tolerated. In addition to trauma to the direct victims, these actions create an unwelcoming and even threatening  environment that is antithetical to all that we want our campus community to be, and that so many are working toward.

While this deeply troubling circumstance was quickly addressed, we recognize that the negative impact of such behavior can endure for much longer.  We pledge to continue the work so many are doing to make our campus and community a welcoming and supportive environment.

We encourage anyone who seeks support to access a number of resources the university offers. More information can be found under “resources” at https://eocc.lehigh.edu/equal-opportunity-compliance-coordinator.

Sincerely,

John D. Simon
President

Patrick V. Farrell
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs