The University of Rochester announced that hundreds of “wanted” posters seeking Jewish faculty members were discovered on campus in recent days.
In an update Wednesday, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) said it believes all wanted posters found in buildings on campus, including classroom spaces, have been removed, but anyone who finds more should contact the department. said.
DPS Director Kuchie Collins said in a statement that the department has identified “several persons of interest,” including “current students, individuals with unclear current enrollment status, and other individuals,” as the department continues to investigate the incident. said.
The poster reportedly lists Jewish faculty members, including senior leadership and board members at the university, as Israeli forces continue operations against Hamas terrorists launched in the Gaza Strip. He is said to be “wanted'' on suspicion of “war crimes.'' Attack on October 7, 2023. USA Today reported that some of the posters labeled Jewish teachers as encouraging “ethnic cleansing” and “forced displacement of Palestinians,” or perpetuating “racism” and “hate speech.” It is accused of being
“I want to make it as clear as possible that the University of Rochester strongly condemns the recent display of 'wanted' posters targeting the University's senior leadership, faculty, staff, and members of the Board of Trustees,” said University President Sarah Mangelsdorf in a statement. I want to keep it that way,” he said. Tuesday's statement. “This conduct is disturbing, divisive, coercive, and contrary to our values as a university.”
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The campus of the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. (Libby March/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Additionally, some of the people depicted appear to have been targeted because they are members of the Jewish community. We consider this anti-Semitism and will not tolerate it at our university.” “Hmm,” she added. “This is not who we are. This goes against everything we stand for, and we have a duty to reject it.”
DPS first became aware on Sunday night that “hundreds” of posters depicting members of the university community as “wanted” were posted on campus, and said it “immediately removed the posters.” “We have begun work to restore the space to normal conditions.” “The removal process was arduous as the strong adhesives used to paste the posters caused damage to walls, floors, blackboards and other surfaces in some cases,” the police said.
Collins said Wednesday that DPS has reached out to the person depicted on the poster to provide “additional safety support and resources.”
Among the people listed on the poster was James Newell, who retired as the university's assistant director of security in August, USA Today reported. Newell said he was a target in connection with the December 2023 arrest of a University of Rochester student for allegedly punching a school employee who was trying to break up an unauthorized anti-Israel campus protest. He said he believed he had been sexually assaulted. However, Newell said he was in the security room at the time of the arrest.
The poster also features Joy Getnick, a member of Hillel at the University of Rochester, who told WHEC-TV that such signs spread “harmful anti-Semitic ideas about Jews and Israel.” spoke.
Anti-Israel protesters sit in the Wilson Quadrangle at the University of Rochester on April 23, 2024. (Jeffrey Meehan/Democrat and Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“They are further spreading anti-Semitic hatred on our campus to instill fear,” Getnick added.
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“We continue to follow up on all available leads and are working diligently to collect and analyze all relevant evidence to ensure a thorough investigation,” Collins said Wednesday. “As a result of the investigation, it is the responsibility of my office to identify and arrest those individuals determined to be involved in this incident and to ensure that these individuals are referred to the appropriate criminal justice and/or university conduct processes. It’s the intention.”
“As President Mangelsdorf stated, this type of behavior is not and will not be tolerated at our university,” he added. “The safety and well-being of our campus community remains our top priority.”
An outline was left on the Eastman Quadrilateral lawn at the University of Rochester after campus security cleared a tent encampment set up by anti-Israel demonstrators on May 14, 2024. (Justin Murphy/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“Our faculty remains committed to promoting a safe and inclusive campus environment,” Collins said. “While there is no information to suggest a threat to community safety from this incident, the inclusion of individuals' names and photographs on each poster was clearly an effort to intimidate those individuals. Public safety continues to We are continuing to monitor our efforts across the University.''We are investigating and working to immediately respond to anyone with concerns about their safety.'' ”
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Collins said DPS is working with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, including the FBI, New York State Police, New York State Attorney General's Office, Rochester Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff's Office, and Monroe County District Attorney's Office. He said there was. These are the people who provided resources and support. ”
