After the University of Delaware mistook remnants of paper lanterns as nooses and opened a hate crime investigation, the university president is now saying there is “still time for a dialogue.”
In a message sent out to members of the University of Delaware community, the acting president of the university, Nancy M. Targett, reported a student found “what are believed to be three nooses hanging from a tree in front of Mitchell Hall on The Green.”
Therefore, University of Delaware police were immediately called to the scene and the incident was investigated as a hate crime.
Targett called the act, which was later discovered to be remnants of paper lanterns left over from an event on campus, “cowardly and reprehensible”:
“Such cowardly and reprehensible acts are clearly designed to intimidate and frighten, and they are unacceptable on our campus. I assure you we will work diligently to get to the bottom of this situation, identify the person or persons responsible and hold them accountable for their actions.”
Targett denounced the paper lantern remains as “hateful acts.”
The University of Delaware also posted a Facebook status, repeating, “This hateful display stands in stark contrast to Monday night's peaceful protest and discussion.”
The university maintained, “We condemn this despicable action and ask everyone in our community to stand together against intolerance and hate.”
The hashtag campaign, “VoicesofUDel,” was included in the Facebook post.
Ultimately, the University of Delaware discovered the “incident” was, in fact, not a hate crime.
Despite the hasty judgment, Targett is defending the university’s decision to rush to a hate crime investigation, and continues to call the lantern remains “noose-like”:
“Last night, we had an incident where three noose-like items were reported to be in a tree on campus. We acted swiftly and decisively to notify the community and to ensure the safety and security of our UD campus. The investigation continued throughout the night and early this morning, the university’s police department—with tips from our university community—found evidence that established that it was not a hate crime. The noose-like items were determined to be remnants from lanterns that were part of an earlier UD event.”
Although Targett said she is “relieved at the outcome,” she claimed she believes “it’s still time for a dialogue.”
“I invite the UD community to stand with me on the North Green at Memorial Hall at 4:30 today as we talk about what happened and what we, as a community, have learned from it,” Targett stated in a video.
In a video statement released on the University of Delaware website, Targett repeated her request for a “dialog”:
“At the same time, the sensitivity of our campus to this potential issue clearly indicates a need for continuing dialog within our community. I continue to encourage everyone to join me at the gathering scheduled at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon on The Green.”
“The safety and inclusiveness of our campus are our top priorities, and we will always act quickly and decisively to respond to concerns of our community,” Targett concluded.