UNF addresses rumors, racially charged flyers left on campus

University of North Florida officials are taking action after several rumors on campus.

President John Delaney sent a message to students, staff and faculty Tuesday after rumors that there was a gun on campus, a building was locked down and classes were canceled.

Flyers were also disseminated on campus that stated: "It's OK to be white."

Delaney said in response to the flyers and rumors:

"This last few months have been a particularly tumultuous time for many campuses. Racial tensions and differing views have stirred emotions among students, faculty and staff.  I would like to ask the campus to remember our values, which include mutual respect and civility, along with a commitment to diversity. We will all get through this."

Full letter from Delaney:

In the past 18 hours, we have seen a flurry of social media posts, including a threatening message and a disturbing image. I want to let the campus community know that we have taken immediate action based upon what we have seen.  The safety of our campus is a top priority. FERPA privacy laws prohibit us from indicating whether or not a student has been suspended and truly limit our ability to communicate as broadly as we would like to do.

It appears these posts have spurred numerous and spurious rumors on campus as well. One rumor was that someone had a gun on campus; another was that a building was locked down.  Yet another rumor was that classes have been cancelled. None of these are true. Every such rumor is false.

Please know the University Police Department has officers, both in uniform and in plain clothes, throughout our campus ensuring safety. I'm completely satisfied that the campus is safe, and I urge everyone to be calm.

Additionally, it has been brought to our attention that flyers have been posted on campus, along with numerous other campuses throughout the country stating:  "It's OK to be white."  This is part of a national campus movement, specifically intended to be provocative. Here is an article from The Washington Post.

This last few months have been a particularly tumultuous time for many campuses. Racial tensions and differing views have stirred emotions among students, faculty and staff.  I would like to ask the campus to remember our values, which include mutual respect and civility, along with a commitment to diversity. We will all get through this.

As always, if you see something that concerns you, contact the UPD at (904) 620-2800. If you need someone to talk to, contact the UNF Counseling Center at (904) 620-2602.

On Tuesday night, Delaney released another letter after the student in a "disturbing image" identified himself:

I wanted to follow up on a message I sent to the campus community earlier today, about a flurry of social media posts which included a threatening message and a disturbing image. While Federal law (FERPA) normally prohibits me from discussing details, the student in question has self-identified to a news organization. This gives me the opportunity to share the facts that the student has released to the media. 
 
The student calls himself a white supremacist, is a former member of the KKK, but is now a member of another white supremacist group. He posted a photo of himself with a gun in the context of confronting members of a student group, the Students for a Democratic Society, which is linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.  The photo was taken off campus. The thread of his posts also included a threatening message. These actions led to his immediate suspension. In addition, he has been barred from campus, pending a conduct hearing next week. He can only come on campus when escorted by a police officer.   
 
There have been a swarm of rumors surrounding this incident. As I said earlier today, rumors about a gun being displayed on campus are not true, and we did not order a lockdown of a building. 
 
In an abundance of caution, the University Police Department will have officers in uniform visible on campus, along with undercover officers in plain clothes. This is not a reason to be alarmed: this is the UPD being proactive. 
 
There is no need for classes to be canceled as I feel confident there is no threat to the campus. 
 
I understand this is a sensitive matter that has put some on edge. But we have always been a caring, supportive community and our strengths outweigh this incident. Further, no one should confuse the acts of a small handful of students with all that UNF is. We embrace diversity.
 
As I have said in the past, if you see something or hear something of concern, contact the UPD at (904) 620-2800. There are also many support groups on campus ready to help.

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