More than 100 students burst in on a lecture by The Office actress Jenn Fischer at DePauw University in protest over the college’s handling of racist messages on campus.
Fischer, who starred as Pam in the hit TV series, was giving a Q&A at the Indiana school about acting when demonstrators filled the aisles.
Students were angry over a number of racist messages that had been left around the Greencastle, Ind. campus, while a woman was recently seen in blackface.
Fischer, who starred as Pam in the hit TV series, was giving a Q&A at the Indiana school
Protesters demanded that university officials ‘stop excusing this problematic behavior,’ and tackle the racism head on, while Fischer remained onstage.
The actress has since tweeted that she supports the protest and plans to donate her fee from the event to the NAACP, The Anti-Defamation League and The Trevor Project, which supports young people in the LGBTQ community.
‘The student protesters spoke about their experiences and about the hate they have been encountering,’ Fischer wrote in a statement posted Wednesday to Twitter.
She was interrupted by more than 100 demonstrators who filled the aisles
Students were angry over a number of racist messages that had been left around the Greencastle, Ind. campus, while a woman was recently seen in blackface
‘I could feel the pain, sadness and fear coming from these students. No student should feel at risk, or have to suffer the kinds of bigotry and hate these students have encountered.
‘In my personal opinion, often times justice requires disruption and interruption of our scheduled lives,’ she said.
‘These students need to be heard and they need change.’
The actress has since tweeted that she supports the protest and plans to donate her fee from the event to the NAACP, The Anti-Defamation League and The Trevor Project, which supports young people in the LGBTQ community
DePauw President Mark McCoy said in a letter to students that the college was taking their concerns seriously and had contacted the police and mayor to investigate.
Fischer, 44, was on campus to discuss her new book ‘The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide.’
The actress said she was told ahead of the Q&A event that protests were likely but was supportive of their choice to protest.