UMass investigating second ‘deeply racist, hateful’ email sent to black students
By WBZ Staff
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AMHERST, Massachusetts (WBZ) — UMass Amherst is looking into who sent a new racist email to Black students and groups on campus.
Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy said the email with “deeply racist, hateful language” received Tuesday was similar to one sent to Black students back in September. The source of that message has yet to be found.
“We have alerted law enforcement to seek assistance in identifying the source of this new anti-Black racist email, and will do everything within our power to hold the racist, hateful coward who sent it accountable,” Subbaswamy said in a message to the campus.
Students say they are fed up with the emails. “I kind of feel like it’s a slap in the face,” said UMass senior Gionel Montero.
“These types of instances have repeatedly happened every single semester I have been here,” said senior Helton Pongon. “It’s disgusting but it’s not even a shock anymore.”
It is supposed to be a week of celebrations for seniors graduating next week. “I definitely am trying to look past it and get out of here and have fun with my last week that I have at Amherst,” Montero said.
The latest email suggested no one has been held responsible because law enforcement is on their side. Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan denied that saying the email, “contained mistruths about law enforcement’s role in the investigation.”
“The provocative and inflammatory email sent out yesterday to a select group at UMass is an attempt to sow discord and division within the UMass Amherst community,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, currently in our country there is an effort to use misinformation as a weapon to provoke fear and mistrust. I believe the UMass community is far stronger and smarter than the writers of this email seem to think.”
Some students are not convinced the person responsible will be found.
“A friend was joking with me last night saying a teenage girl looking into a potential boyfriend could find information in a shorter period of time,” said sophomore Breanna Joseph. “So, the fact that a university with so much disposable income and resources can’t seem to trace back an email is just ridiculous to me to be frank.”
The university said the person responsible could face expulsion or employment termination and referral to the DA for criminal prosecution.
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