BYU’s official Twitter account released a series of posts Wednesday morning acknowledging reports of stickers and posters promoting a white supremacist group on campus.
A reporter for the Daily Universe reached out to University Communications for a comment within an hour after the tweets were posted. A receptionist said no one in the office was available to take questions as they are out of the office for the Thanksgiving holiday.
University Police have been notified and are currently looking into the issue. BYU’s tweet said the stickers and posters are not authorized, are not in accordance with university policy and will be removed if placed on campus.
BYU stands firmly against racism in any form and is committed to promoting a culture of safety, kindness, respect and love. We stand with our sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has stated:
— BYU (@BYU) November 27, 2019
BYU also tweeted that the university, “stand(s) firmly against racism in any form and is committed to promoting a culture of safety, kindness, respect and love. We stand with our sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has stated:
“White supremacist attitudes are morally wrong and sinful, and we condemn them. Church members who promote or pursue a ‘white culture’ or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, the organization has used similar tactics on other college campuses across the country. Members of the organization tend to remain anonymous and spread their white supremacist ideas through the use of fliers, stickers and posters at a high frequency.
“During the 2018-2019 school year, from Sept. 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019, ADL documented 313 cases of white supremacist propaganda on campus — a 7% increase from the 292 recorded during the 2017-2018 academic year,” according to a report released by the Anti-Defamation League in June.
Seth Brysk, Anti-Defamation League regional director, said campuses around the Salt Lake City area, including the University of Utah and Westminster College, have been targeted by white supremacist groups in the past.
According to Brysk, such groups use seemingly harmless symbols and terms promoting patriotism to provoke interest and recruit people to become involved in their agenda.
Anyone who witnesses or experiences an incident on campus associated with white supremacy is asked to call the Dean of Students’ office at (801) 422-2731. In situations where safety is at risk, contact University Police at (801) 422-2222.
