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“F*** n*****,” “bitch,” and “pussy,” were reportedly written on a dorm room hall at California State University Monterey Bay, although several other incidents were deemed not “racially motivated,” according to police reports obtained by The College Fix.
However, police determined two other vandalism incidents this semester did not fit the criteria for a hate crime, according to documents.
“I was dispatched to a report of past tense 594 that was race related,” a campus police officer wrote in the document obtained via a public records request. A “594” refers to a vandalism incident.
The officer said he spoke to the parties involved and “determined no crime had occurred” at Sanderling Hall.
“There was also no evidence this was racially motivated, as students of [different] races were all affected,” the officer wrote in the early October report.
The other incident, involving the racist and derogatory language remains open but paused due to a lack of leads.
This vandalism occurred at Asilomar Hall when the student resident was away between 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m on Oct. 5.
The damage, valued at $300, was cleaned before an officer arrived. The case was suspended “due to the lack of investigative leads,” Officer Fernandez Escobedo wrote.
The report notes the student did not suspect anyone she knew, and no witnesses or additional vandalism were found nearby. Video footage from the dorm’s security cameras also did not reveal any suspects.
According to the report, university police contacted the campus lock shop to obtain keycard access data from the dorm. The school did not provide an update on the status of this request when asked by The Fix.
The university only provided these two reports that appear to cover three separate incidents after being asked for documents pertaining to vandalism at the Promontory. However, none of these halls appear to be at that housing complex, but are nearby.
“According to CSUMB Black Students United, there have been three vandalism incidents within the past week and Black students living at Promontory Apartments have found racist messages at their dorms’ doors,” Monterey County Now reported in early October. The campus police did not provide The Fix with any separate reports from Promontory Apartments.
An Instagram page called “CSUMB Confessions” shared an anonymous post reportedly from someone who lives in Promontory. ““Whoever wrote the N-word on my door @Prom C 3rd floor, I dare you to say it to my face,” the accusation stated.
University encourages students to report information
When asked about the status of the investigation and whether CSUMB verified online reports of racial incidents, a university spokesperson said the school is unable to release information regarding ongoing investigations.
“Students are encouraged to report incidents using official channels of communication, such as through our Report Concerning/Discriminating Behavior link on the university website,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Fix.
The spokesperson also said after the incident, administrators held a meeting with representatives from Black Students United.
Another vandalism incident was reported to the CSUMB Confessions Instagram page on September 30. On the fourth slide, it reads “Whoever wrote the N-word on my door @Prom C 3rd floor, I dare you to say it to my face.”
The school told The Fix it does not actively verify social media accounts that are unaffiliated with official university accounts.
Black Students United did not respond to multiple requests for information via email and Instagram DM in the past week. The Fix asked for details on the three reported incidents, what BSU hopes to see from CSUMB while the investigation is paused, and what accountability it hopes for if the person responsible is identified.
According to another media outlet, President Vanya Quiñones and Associate Vice President for Community & Belonging Nizhoni Chow-Garcia said university police and the Title IX office were investigating.
In a campuswide email, they said the university “will take appropriate action under the Student Code of Conduct.”
The Title IX Office did not respond to multiple requests for information via email and through voicemail in the past week. The Fix asked if the DHR investigation is still ongoing, whether the incidents break CSU’s discrimination or harassment rules, and what punishment a student suspect could face.
The CSUMB Black Students United Instagram account put out an announcement condemning these racist vandalism incidents.
“[N]o one should ever have to endure something so vile and hateful… we see you, we hear you, and we are here for you,” it wrote. “[W]e are fully committed to finding and stopping the ones who are spreading hate throughout our campus.”
But a writer, commentator, and advocate known for challenging race-based policies in education warns against taking “sweeping action” if a perpetrator is not found.
“Universities should be cautious and should not make judgmental actions based on anonymous perpetrators,” Kenny Xu, former President of Color Us United, an organization dedicated to race-blind thought, told The Fix.
He said universities should not be given “unilateral authority” because they do not go by the same rules of law as the US criminal justice system does.
“Everybody should treat each other with a climate of respect, but when these incidents occur and there is no perpetrator, blame should not be doled out to anybody,” Xu said.
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