SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– Responding to concerns from community members regarding the placement of and response to posters alleging connections between specific SDSU students and terrorist groups, Tammy Gillies, Regional Director of ADL’s San Diego Regional office said,
“The posters placed on SDSU’s campus two weeks ago which targeted individual students because of their affiliations with specific political beliefs were abhorrent. Unfortunately, neither the administration’s weak response to the hateful messaging nor students’ decision to barricade President Hirshman in his car exemplify best practices for how to respond in the face of ugly, threatening speech. The most effective response to hateful speech is a timely, direct and firm response.
“The decision by SDSU administrators to review university policies on the appropriate balance between free speech and campus safety is an important first step in creating an inclusive and secure campus climate. We urge the university to include a diverse group of stakeholders — students, faculty, staff and community leaders– in this discussion. We also encourage the California State University system to adopt guidelines similar to the Principles Against Intolerance recently approved by the University of California Regents.”
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