Hofstra posted a “trigger warning” sign before the debate

Hofstra University, host of last night’s presidential debate, posted a “trigger warning” sign in their student center, which was first noticed by CBS New York reporter, Tony Aiello.

“Sign inside Student Center at Hofstra. I guess these are common now on college campuses? #TriggerWarning,” Aiello tweeted, along with a picture of the sign, which read:

“Trigger warning: The event conducted just beyond this sign may contain triggering and/or sensitive material. Sexual violence, sexual assault, and abuse are some topics mentioned within this event. If you feel triggered, please know there are resources to help you.”

The sign then provided students with contact information for student counseling services, the Title IX coordinator, student advocacy and prevention, and the national sexual assault hotline.

Because it was placed near a booth with collateral about the presidential debate, it was originally interpreted that the school was trying to warn students about potentially disturbing content that might be discussed in the debate. Given the prevalence of trigger warnings and safe spaces on college campuses, many believed that the university was attempting to shield its students from Republican nominee Donald Trump’s political incorrectness, and reacted by calling students “weak minded,” telling them to “grow up.”

However, Aiello later tweeted a clarification. He noted that the sign was actually intended to warn students about a different event being held on-campus, MTV’s Elect This Multimedia Experience, which deals with issues such as sexual assault and race bias.

“To clarify — sign is outside ‘MTV Elect This Multimedia Experience’ the area where HU students are counting down to debate time,” Aiello explained.

Although the situation ended up being a misunderstanding, liberal sensitivity and the need to protect peoples’ feelings have become so prevalent that it’s no wonder several news outlets ran with it.