As you may be aware, during a recent team activity one of Le Moyne’s student-athletes wore a Halloween costume that was culturally insensitive and counter to our Jesuit heritage and commitment to social justice. A photo of the costume was posted to one of the College’s official athletic team social media accounts; it has since been removed.
Understandably, the posting generated numerous responses from students, alumni and others. Yesterday, Bob Beretta, Le Moyne’s athletic director, posted a statement on social media apologizing for the harm caused.
I am writing to assure you that the College is taking steps to address what happened. After reviewing the circumstances around the posting, the College has determined that it was a bias-related incident and, as such, has referred it to the Bias Response Team (BRT). The BRT employs a restorative justice approach that begins with a meeting with the parties who have been harmed. We identify what the harm is, who is responsible for the harm, and what steps are needed to move forward. A similar conversation occurs with the individual or individuals who are accused of creating harm. The two groups then come together with the objective of resolving the situation by committing to concrete actions. If an agreement is reached it is signed by both parties. More information on how Le Moyne handles bias-related incidents can be found here.
We have already begun to move forward with the BRT process. As part of this process, we are meeting with the executive boards of the three campus organizations that have issued statements about this — X, El Progresso and the Asia Club. Student-athletes, coaches and the athletic director will also be part of this process to ensure meaningful change.
On behalf of the College, I apologize for the harm this has caused. Through the work of many students, alumni, administrators and faculty, we have worked hard in recent months, through the Racial Justice Committee, the work of the BRT and in other ways, to create a campus culture of understanding and tolerance. Though progress has been made, events such as this show that much work remains.
Sincerely,
Linda M. LeMura, Ph.D.
President