A “poll” sign put up last Wednesday at the University of Georgia’s Tate Student Center Plaza which asked for opinion on the death of a Georgia Tech student has resulted in some rather miffed students.
The poll referenced what occurred on the evening of September 16: Police received a call about a suspicious person … “possibly intoxicated, holding a knife and possibly armed with a gun on his hip.”
That person was Georgia Tech student Scout Schultz, who ended up being shot dead by officers. According to a cellphone video, Schultz had said “shoot me” when confronted by the cops.
Schultz’s parents said Scout, who identified as “non-binary,” had a history of mental illness. The Washington Post reports the student had left behind three suicide notes.
Outrage followed Scout’s shooting as approximately 50 protesters marched on the campus police department, lighting a police vehicle on fire and injuring two officers. Many wanted to know why the situation couldn’t have been resolved with non-lethal force.
More outrage surfaced after folks came upon the “poll” sign at the Tate Center, which is “one of two venues on campus where individuals are permitted to practice free speech.”
The sign reads “The shooting of Scout Schultz (Georgia Tech) was a clean shoot” with columns to check off “agree,” “disagree” or “unsure.”
The Red & Black reports:
“Just because he asked for it, doesn’t mean he should have got it,” said Aayush Tailor, a freshman finance and international business major from Suwanee, when referring to Schultz’ repeatedly yelling ‘shoot me’ to Georgia Tech police. “The sign was a little harsh in my opinion.”
Alli Carton, a senior social work major from Watkinsville, said she passed by the sign at Tate Plaza on Wednesday and was shocked by what was written on the board.
“It was just very heartbreaking for me to see. I know it’s a free speech area. This person, whoever it might be, was well within their rights [to display the sign],” Carton said. “But, I just want people to know this is not what I think of when I think of UGA. There’s so much more to this university than what this sign made it seem like.”
Carton said whoever wrote the phrase “a clear [shot]” was putting a label on something that cannot be labelled.
In response to the “poll,” Carton said she plans to hold a vigil this Wednesday in support of Georgia Tech “as it mourns the loss of Schultz.”
In a statement, the UGA Student Government said “We believe the sign to be insensitive, and we would ask those on our campus to be respectful of the situation as many grieve the loss of the student leader of the LGBT+ community.”
(The Red & Black reports that Marli Collier, the executive director of communication for Student Government Association who delivered the SGA statement, said the “murder” of Schultz was a “learning opportunity” for the university. It is unclear if Collier used the word or if the TR&B ascribed it to her; whatever the case, it is the incorrect term.)
UGA Executive Director of Communications Greg Trevor said that although the sign was “insensitive” and “offensive,” it was allowed to be there as Tate is free speech zone.
The sign eventually was “voluntarily removed,” according to the report.
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