DPS looking into alleged incident of Islamophobic harassment

Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety is currently looking into an alleged incident of Islamophobic harassment on campus.

Earlier this semester, an unidentified undergraduate student in the women’s and gender studies department was “repeatedly harassed by an Islamophobic roommate,” according to an email that Susann DeMocker-Shedd — an administrative specialist in the department — sent last week to majors and minors in the department. The roommate allegedly tore up a Quran and “blasted” Ku Klux Klan speeches. The harassment was later reported to DPS.

Christine Weber, the public information and internal communications officer for DPS, said in an email to The Daily Orange that a DPS officer has since begun to look into the incident and “take actions to support” the student subjected to the alleged harassment, although they haven’t filed a formal complaint.

Weber added that representatives from DPS, the Office of Student Assistance, the Off-Campus and Commuter Services and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities have been working to resolve the issue.

“The safety and well-being of our students is and must remain our chief priority, always,” Weber said.