To the Rider University community,

I am disheartened and disgusted to learn that graffiti containing racial slurs was discovered in one of our residence halls on Sunday. On behalf of our entire community, I condemn this act of intolerance and hatred. It is contrary to our Statement of Community Values and is totally unacceptable.

Upon discovery of this defacement, police were called to investigate and to help identify and bring to justice the individual responsible for this cowardly and despicable act. The hateful words have been removed, but can never be cleansed from the eyes that observed them.

We take this matter very seriously and will not stand for members of our community being marginalized. The Dean of Students and I will be meeting with student leaders and other members of our community to discuss the incident and to set a course of action to reaffirm our respect for one another. Rider University is a place dedicated to learning, diversity and social responsibility. There is no place on this campus or anywhere else for acts of intolerance and repugnant behavior.

Mordechai Rozanski
President