On Tuesday, President Bruce Shepard of Western Washington University did something he hasn’t done in his 15 years as a university leader. Shepard canceled classes as a result of “hate speech” over Yik-Yak.
That’s right. A social media post canceled school.
The letter from Shepard mentions that he “cannot go into the details of an ongoing law enforcement investigation.” Reporting from the Seattle Times provides more insight, and has Shepard confirming that the hate speech may be connected to suggestions from student leaders that the school’s mascot, a viking, be changed to be more inclusive.
Katherine Serrano, a senior who is Salvadoran, said she doesn’t know anyone who takes issue with the mascot. Shepard has addressed it before though in a blog post, noting that he welcomes discussion about it and writing “mascots matter.” While Shepard doesn’t intend to change the mascot during his time as president, he is retiring next year.
Also mentioned is that two students who felt their safety was being threatened have already left campus. Campus police as well as Bellingham Police are investigating.
In his letter, Shepard emphasizes the safety concern while denouncing the threats, saying that the perpetrators will “face the criminal justice,” regardless if they are Western students.
Later in the letter, Shepard provides another reason that goes beyond safety:
We need time to press the criminal investigation and to plan how, as a campus, we will come together to demonstrate our outrage, to listen to each other, and to support each other. So, I have decided to cancel classes today in order to provide that time.
It is one thing to cancel classes for safety concerns or to “press [a] criminal investigation.” It is another to do so to “demonstrate.”
