Families, we shared this update with our students, faculty and staff a few moments ago. We share it with you now for your reference.

Dear AU Community,

A note containing hateful and threatening anti-Palestinian messages was found under an office door in Kerwin Hall. This vile and dehumanizing act targeting our Palestinian community is reprehensible and will not be tolerated. The office belongs to a staff member who is Palestinian. No act of hate will deter us from supporting community members who are not only feeling the pain and weight of traumatic global events, but also the vulnerability of being subject to hateful acts in our own community.

The seriousness and threatening nature of both this incident and the antisemitic graffiti found last week have led us to engage with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to collaborate on both investigations. Anyone found responsible for these acts will be subject to relevant laws, university policies, and appropriate disciplinary actions.

We are supporting the staff member involved. Any faculty or staff in Kerwin Hall needing assistance with this matter can contact the SPA dean’s office at (202) 885-2940 or HR employee relations at (202) 885-2607 or [email protected].

AUPD will continue to investigate thoroughly this incident in addition to ongoing work related to the Letts Hall antisemitic graffiti. If any member of the community has any information about either incident, please contact AUPD at 202-885-2999 or use the RAVE Guardian app, where anonymous tips can also be submitted. AUPD continues to operate with increased awareness across campus to support the safety of the community. Any community member who feels unsafe can call the AUPD emergency number at 202-885-3636, use the blue light emergency telephones on campus, or use the RAVE Guardian app.

To those who are responsible for the anti-Palestinian and antisemitic acts we have witnessed over the last several days, you do not represent the American University community. We will take clear and consequential action against those found responsible for these threatening acts.

Many community members—Muslim, Palestinian, Jewish, and Israeli—are scared, and our priority is to support them. The acts of a few will not detract from the commitment to human dignity throughout this community. I said on Friday that a core principle of inclusive excellence is that we stand for a thriving community where individuals of all identities and experiences are understood, appreciated, and fully included. Our community commitment to that principle is tested by these hateful acts. We respond to that test by recognizing the shared humanity of our fellow Eagles. We treat each other with respect and care and respect each other’s views even in disagreement. We support each other’s safety and well-being, because everyone in our community has a right to feel safe.

For all community members who are affected by this act or by the larger global issues, our support resources continue to be available. Campus services, including the Center for Well-Being and Psychological Services and the AU ProtoCall 24-hour support line (202-885-7979), are available for students. The BHS service is available for faculty and staff and their families, and the Kay Spiritual Life Center welcomes all community members (with special office hours being available).

Hate—antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, or any other form of discrimination or exclusion—will not prevail at American University. The work of so many to support and safeguard our community will make us stronger, as we reject and expunge the ugly behavior we have witnessed in these acts. That work moves forward with each of us naming hate, condemning it, being inclusive rather than divisive, and supporting our fellow community members.

Sincerely, 

Sylvia M. Burwell
President, American University