As many of you have seen in news reports, this weekend Stanford’s Department of Public Safety responded to a report of what was described as a noose near a residence for summer students. We take this matter very seriously, and DPS is currently investigating the incident. If additional evidence comes to light, it may be classified as a hate crime. We would strongly encourage anyone with more information on this incident to contact DPS.

While we await further conclusions from the investigation, we deeply appreciate that a noose is recognized today as a symbol of violence and racism directed against African American people. Such a symbol has no place on our campus. We need to continue to strive for a community in which discrimination and hate have no presence.

We will ensure that our community is updated on the status of the investigation into this very serious matter.