MSJC Fully Supports All Students and Denounces Hateful Vandalism
An important message from MSJC Vice President of Student Services John Colson, Ed.D.:
Please allow me to take a moment and bring to your attention a related series of events initially mentioned by Dr. Schultz in the thread below.
Over the course of the past two weeks, Campus Safety has reported two additional discoveries of defaced flyers. The flyers (invitations to the “Sexuality + Gender Alliance” meeting and “Active Minds” event to discuss suicide prevention) and their defacement is a cowardly act of hate focused on members of our campus family and broader community.
I want to reiterate the message from Superintendent/ President Schultz earlier that we will not be deterred nor will we cease to support all members of our campus family — students, faculty, staff, and administration and all marginalized communities. As leaders, please know that we support all means of education and awareness and that is what these cowardly acts of hate are attempting to suppress. We strongly stand against this.
Also, by way of support, I have asked Director of Campus Safety — Dave Paseman — to ensure that CSO foot patrols remain vigilant in their presence and show of support and safety for these and other meetings and events.
I believe that education and personal responsibility leads to understanding, healing, acceptance, and support.
Please join me in showing support to all members of our community who seek to enhance education, understanding, healing, acceptance, and support.
As we stand together we, as a community, will stand against hate.
With Appreciation,
John
Below is the aforementioned message Dr. Schultz sent on March 27:
Dear Colleagues,
Mt. San Jacinto College officials have recently been notified about the vandalism of a poster announcing an LGBTQ+ event on our Menifee Valley Campus. The extent of the vandalism is indicative of hatred. This type of behavior is intolerable. MSJC administration, faculty and staff fully support our students and are committed to providing a safe learning environment for all, including members of the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities.
Let’s be very clear: Mt. San Jacinto College will not tolerate this and we will pursue the perpetrator(s) and prosecute the individual(s) to the full extent of the law. MSJC has a proud culture of inclusivity and we embrace all backgrounds. We have strong Board Policies and Administrative Procedures designed to protect the rights of all students, employees and visitors. See Prohibition of Harassment AP 3430 and Nondiscrimination AP 3410.
We have a strong safety presence that includes the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and our Campus Safety officers. We will have security at the event today and will continue to ensure that our campuses are safe for all. This incident serves as a call to action for unity and to ensure we are protecting our students, our staff and all who come to MSJC. If you have information about this incident or see or hear anything that sounds amiss, please report it immediately to Campus Safety at 951-639-5188 or call 911 if it is an emergency.
Let’s stand strong and united together, Eagles. Join me and other administrators, faculty, and staff at the “Beyond the Binary” event tonight (March 27) 5:30-7:30 PM Room 927 on the Menifee Valley Campus.
Roger W. Schultz, Ph.D.
Superintendent/President