By Pauline Dulang, Reporter
University of Nebraska Omaha’s Chancellor Joanne Li sent a school-wide email last week in support of a student victim of an on-campus hate crime.
According to Chancellor Li’s letter, UNO’s Division of Student Success recently received reports of a “hateful, homophobic message left on a vehicle in the West Garage on UNO’s Dodge Campus.”
Staff from UNO’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and their Housing and Residence Life office are providing support to the targeted individual.
According to UNDPS’ Annual Campus Safety and Fire Report, 130 crimes have been recorded on-campus and 107 crimes have been recorded on-campus housing.
UNO’s Senior Director for the Office of Student Life and Supervisor of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, Dr. Jessi Hitchins, said prevention is key and that we are responsible for building a culture of care.
“UNO’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center receives approximately 25-40 bias reports a year,” said Hitchins.
UNO freshman Anna Williams often parks her vehicle in the West Garage.
“[This] makes me very angry,” Williams said. “People should be able to go to school and feel safe… You think that nowadays you can [be yourself], but it’s still surprising when people aren’t accepting, and they go do hateful crimes like that. It’s just disgusting to hear about.”
Hitchins said that her department received multiple bias reports on that particular incident.
UNO’s Department of Public Safety (UNDPS) is currently investigating the incident.
