American University says 10 confederate flag posters with cotton attached to them have been reported on the school’s Washington, D.C. campus.
University President Sylvia Burwell said in a statement on Wednesday that surveillance video of the incident shows ‘the perpetrator(s) coming on to the campus and hanging the posters.’
Students later expressed a concern for their safety on the campus, telling school officials that they have an obligation to protect the campus community.
American University in Washington DC said that posters of the confederate flag tapped with cotton was discovered on campus
The suspect is said to have taped the posters on Israel studies and African-American studies bulletin boards
Students say they are concerned for campus climate and safety following the incident during a recent meeting
‘It’s not just the black students’ responsibility, it’s not just the LGBTQA students’ responsibility, it’s all of our responsibility. Because we all invest our time and resources in this place,’ one student said.
Student president Taylor Dumpson, who was the target of racist abuse last year, echoed the student’s concerns, saying that the college was vulnerable to further instances.
‘They’re concerned about their safety, they’re concerned with campus climate,’ Dumpson said.
University President Sylvia Burwell (pictured) said the school is cooperating with police
The perpetrator placed the posters in at least four buildings, according to WTOP.
University police are investigating and have released an image of a man dressed as a construction worker that they say is a suspect.
Authorities believe the suspect to be a white male in his 40s and approximately 5-feet 10-inches tall.
The posters were found Tuesday, the same night a talk was being given on the school’s new Antiracist Research and Policy Center.
University Vice President Fanta Aw says it ‘will not be deterred by this cowardly attempt at intimidation.’
According to the crime alert, the incident is described as ‘defacing property — bias related,’ WTOP noted.
Another student, Max Spivak, said the suspect taped the posters on Israel studies and African-American studies bulletin boards.
‘They were posters of Confederate flags with cotton taped on to them, with lyrics from the unofficial Confederate anthem, “Dixie,'” Spivak told WTOP. ‘On the back, it said “D.C. Resistance,” with a French paramilitary logo from World War II.’
Bananas hanging from string in the shape of nooses were found in May on the campus, with the letters of a black sorority scrawled on them.
Police say that a man dressed in a hard hat and yellow construction vest is the main suspect
The University Labyrinth is shown on the American University Campus in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, November 9, 2016