Quinnipiac University Has ‘Zero Tolerance' For Controversial Photo

Quinnipiac University is condemning a controversial photo shared on social media. 

"The university takes this matter very seriously and acted swiftly to discipline those responsible for the offensive photo," the university said in a statement.  "This incident does not reflect the true nature of our university, where we have a long history of zero tolerance for any acts of racism, hatred or bigotry."

On Monday, someone who identified themselves as a Quinnipiac student shared a photo of a girl with a black substance smeared on her face, captioned with the phrase "Black Lives Matter."

"I'm livid, I'm hurt and more importantly, I'm empowered to do something," the student wrote about the posted photo. "I am a black student and I should feel comfortable on my own campus."

A source with knowledge of the incident says the person in the photo's roommate took the picture, wrote the caption and posted the photo to social media. NBC Connecticut was told the roommate is facing disciplinary action and the girl seen in the photo is not. 

The provost met with the students on Tuesday night to discuss the incident. 

An email sent to Quinnipiac students read: 

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

I am deeply troubled to learn of a recent incident in which a racially offensive photo of one of our students was posted on social media. This incident is clearly not reflective of our values as a university community. Please know the university has acted swiftly to discipline the individual responsible for this action.

I believe this is an opportunity for all of us to reaffirm our long standing commitment to diversity, inclusion and creating an environment that is supportive and respectful of all of its members.

I want to thank the students, faculty and staff for continuing to support and participate in our various efforts around diversity and inclusion on our three campuses.

Mark Thompson

Executive Vice President and Provost

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