In response to alleged racist comments and death threats, a freshman from Hawaii left the University during the first week of classes. University administrators have responded to the incident by saying that the University needs to make an effort to better inform students and parents about support services on campus and to examine them to see how the harassment went undetected.
It is admirable that administrators are trying to figure out how to prevent similar instances from occurring. But the real problem is that someone attacked Zane Lobetos because of his race, causing him to feel so threatened and isolated that he decided to withdraw.
According to an e-mail to administrators from Lobetos’ parents, he “was verbally attacked with racial and derogatory remarks,” threatened with physical harm and received death threats on the door of his Carson Hall room. The e-mail circulated in the weeks following his departure and rumors swirled surrounding the incident, reaching as far as communities in Hawaii.
As of Tuesday, facts about the incident were not available because no witnesses have come forward. University officials were unaware of the alleged harassment until Lobetos left the University and they hadn’t been able to contact Lobetos directly. What is clear, however, is that something profoundly disturbing happened at our University and relevant facts must be brought to light.
We must ponder who should be held responsible for this flagrant incident. The individual or individuals who made the alleged remarks should clearly be accountable for their actions. But other students and administrators also share some of the burden. As for students, we urge anyone with specific knowledge about the incident to come forward. Administrators should take note that perhaps incoming students need a more detailed orientation about support services on campus. These programs can’t be effective if new students don’t know how to find them or don’t feel comfortable using them.
We also encourage students to speak up about instances like this when they occur. When students feel threatened, they may not report harassment for fear of retaliation. But suffering in silence isolates individuals and gives power to the minority of people who perpetrate racism.
Exposing harassment may be embarrassing to us as students, and rightly so. It is embarrassing that anyone here would be cruel enough to do the things described by the e-mail from Lobetos’ parents.
This incident may have damaged our credibility in Hawaii; Interim Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity Charles Martinez and possibly University President Dave Frohnmayer are going to devote part of a future trip to Hawaii to addressing concerns regarding Lobetos’ situation.
Lobetos’ case also exemplifies a larger issue. As Hawaii Club co-Director Nestor Ugale recently told the Emerald, it’s likely this incident isn’t an isolated case. How many other students feel threatened or discriminated against but don’t take any action?
We are shocked that this sort of flagrant behavior would happen on campus. Administrators and student groups have taken steps to create a welcoming environment and a more diverse mix of students, but these efforts are in vain if students espouse racist attitudes.
Community must speak out about harassment
Daily Emerald
October 26, 2005
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