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Last week, after Auburn’s historic snowfall from Winter Storm Enzo, the blankets of white snow were marred by a racial slur written underneath the window of Sasnett Hall, one of the dormitories in The Hill residential community of Auburn's campus.
A picture of the slur, presumably taken by the unnamed student, was posted on Facebook by Tulani Jackson, who said the student is a friend’s daughter. The incident has received considerable attention since photo's posting on Jan. 21.
Auburn University's Executive Director of Public Affairs and Executive of Communication Jennifer Adams shared a statement of the incident on behalf of the university. The statement acknowledged that an investigation is ongoing, and that the actions are prohibited by the university.
“This behavior does not represent the values of Auburn University. The university prohibits harassment of its students and employees as outlined in our Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment," Adams wrote. "Auburn remains committed to creating an environment where everyone is welcome, valued, respected and engaged."
The university, however, declined to give further details regarding the extent of the investigation, its potential consequences for the perpetrator(s) or the incident's relationship to reporting requirements under the Cleary Act — a federal statute that requires universities to report detailed information about crimes committed on their campuses.
The university additionally stated that it could not comment on the evidential significance of the security camera that purportedly surveils the scene. The camera is located at the top of Sasnett Hall, above the area the word was written in.
"We are limited in what we can say as Campus Safety & Security and the Auburn Police Department continue their investigation," Adams said.
This investigation is particularly significant in the Auburn community. As reported in a recent Plainsman editorial, only 4.5% of Auburn University's student body is Black despite 25% of the state's population being Black. This discrepancy and the recent banning of campus DEI initiatives are indicative of ongoing issues promoting positive race relations at the institution.
"In the Bible, snow represents purity, God's glory, and the promise of forgiveness," read the caption on Jackson's post from Jan. 22. She added, "Today the freshly laid blanket of snow spoke volumes. It spoke negativity, it spoke fear, it did not speak of the love and forward thinking it should on a college campus."
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