Board of Regents Urges Zero Tolerance
for Incidents of Hate and Bias Crimes
During its regular meeting today, the University System of Maryland (USM)
Board of Regents condemned incidents of hate crimes, intimidation and bias
such as the recent ones that occurred at the University of Maryland, College
Park. The Board passed a resolution directing the USM institutions to
vigorously enforce its policy on acts of violence and extremism.
Nathan A. Chapman, chairman of the Board of Regents, said, "I urge the
campuses to interpret this as a 'zero tolerance' standard that is to be
demonstrated in the way such acts are investigated and prosecuted by System
institutions. A policy is only as good as its enforcement."
The Board's resolution states:
- The University System of Maryland condemns incidents of hate crimes,
intimidation and bias such as the recent ones that occurred at the
University of Maryland, College Park.
The Board has a policy on acts of violence and extremism established in
1990. That policy states that "acts of destruction or violence which are
racially, ethnically, and/or otherwise motivated against the person or
property of others and which infringe on the rights and freedom of others
will not be tolerated at the University System's institutions or
facilities."
The Board directs the USM institutions to vigorously enforce this policy.
The Board commends those institutions that have already initiated activities
in support of the policy.
In his regular report to the Board, USM Chancellor Donald N. Langenberg
said, "We cannot allow these crimes to divide us or to keep us from the
important work that remains to be done." Such crimes are especially
troubling, he added, "in a community dedicated to learning." Langenberg
praised UMCP's establishment of a panel to recommend ways to improve
diversity on that campus; he also acknowledged that Towson University
recently sponsored a campus-wide forum on that issue.
Contact:
Chris Hart
Phone: 301/445-2739
Pager: 301/507-2316
E-mail: chart@usmh.usmd.edu
