University of Utah police investigated a bomb threat Tuesday made against the school’s Black Cultural Center by a caller who stated he was a 17-year-old neo-Nazi, according to officials.
The threat came less than a week after more than 40 university students gathered to protest against what they deemed as administrative complacency towards recent racist incidents on campus
The protest was in response to a string of alleged racist incidents on campus. These include a student of color finding feces smeared on their door, people dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes attempting to recruit students, and students yelling racial slurs and throwing trash at a campus worker.
Although the college released statements condemning the incidents and promising investigations, protesters stated that officials were not doing enough to address racism on campus.
“We are here today to yet again address the complacency and failures of the University of Utah leadership in the face of racist, patriarchal violence. We have witnessed how empty and useless the responses they currently have in place to such violence are,” Ermiya Fanaeian, a student at the university, said during the protest.
The demonstrators also urged university officials to meet with the Black Student Union to discuss the school’s response to racist acts on campus and what can be done to make the campus safer for students, faculty, and staff of color.
Following the protest, officials stated that they will continue to meet with student leaders and work to eliminate discrimination and harassment on campus.
