City of Ithaca and Cornell University Address Intolerance

City, Cornell address intolerance
By Krisy Gashler
Journal Staff

ITHACA — Two of the community's biggest institutions — the City of Ithaca and Cornell University — have given public declarations about tolerance and diversity in the last two weeks.

“Recent incidents in our community and elsewhere serve to remind us that intolerance remains a continuing problem in American society,” said Cornell President David Skorton in an Oct. 11 statement.
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Cornell spokesman Simeon Moss said Skorton's statement was prompted by national, local and campus news, and by last week's visit by the Dalai Lama.

“It's really not specifically pointed at any incident, and I think it's also a message of tolerance and the university's historic support of diversity, keeping with the recently expressed message of the Dalai Lama.”

When asked if the statement was prompted in any way by the racial tension exposed in the last month by the Ithaca City School District's challenge of the state's Human Rights Law, Moss said the statement is meant to address “the things that have been in the media, recently and in the past year.”

The school district is defending itself against a claim that it did not protect a student who was allegedly repeatedly racially harassed in school and on the bus. The suit has resulted in protests at the district administration building, at a board of education meeting and at Ithaca High School.

In a separate incident last February, a white Cornell student stabbed a black visitor on campus after the visitor confronted the student for shouting racial epithets.

The city proclamation was largely motivated by an incident reported by former Common Council alderman Shane Seger, D-1st, according to Common Council alderwoman Maria Coles, D-1st.

At the Common Council meeting Coles reported that while Seger and his partner were walking in the city, they were “verbally abused by a group of young men with reference being made to the fact that Shane is gay.”

“It was one of the few times in his life, here in Ithaca, the only time that he really felt afraid,” Coles said.

For the complete article from The Ithaca Journal, click on title of this post above.

Even closer to home, Nick Foos (Wells '08) has started a group on Facebook called, "I will NOT condone Homophobia at Wells College" as a response to recent bias incidents on campus. This group is open to everyone, so if you are on Facebook check it out.