Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerIn this 2009 file photo, students take a tour of Montclair State University. Police are investigating a hateful message found on the campus, officials said.
MONTCLAIR — Montclair State University police are investigating another hateful message found on campus, this time directed at African Americans and women, officials said.
The message was written in marker on the door of a room in The Heights residence complex about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, university president Susan Cole said in a message to the campus community. Students reported the incident to police.
The hateful message appeared after a unity rally, which was organized by students after they learned about three anti-gay death threats written in a note and on the walls of the student center. The university boosted security, which included posting police with guns on the rooftops of buildings near the quad to protect students.
“They wanted to have it on that day in part to demonstrate that they were not fearful,” Karen Pennington, vice president for student development and campus life, said today.
Montclair State has worked hard to create an inclusive culture, she said, and students are now more likely to report discriminatory messages.
Irvington resident Jacqueline Ndao said she’s worried about her daughter, a sophomore at Montclair State, because she attends dance practice on campus at night. She said she wishes there were 24-hour surveillance cameras that the public could monitor to ensure the students’ safety.
Anyone with information can contact university police at (973) 655-5222 or the confidential tips line at (973) 655-8477.