Swastikas, N-Word Left On William Paterson U. Building Walls; 'Repugnant,' President Says

WAYNE, NJ — Several swastikas and the N-word were found scrawled on the walls of a William Paterson University building. University President Dr. Richard J. Helldobler called the act "repugnant and cowardly."

A resident assistant noticed the antisemitic symbol and racist slur early Friday morning on the walls of a staircase at Hillside Hall, which houses sophomores through seniors. They notified university police, and maintenance staff quickly cleaned and painted the walls, Helldobler wrote Friday to the university community.

"The words and images discovered this morning immediately produce feelings of disgust, shock, and sadness and I am appalled to see such expressions of hate on our campus," Helldobler wrote. "Anti-Semitism, racism, and hatred of any kind are rampant in our nation, and they strike fear not just in the groups and individuals targeted, including those from marginalized groups."

Officials referred the incident to the campus Bias Prevention and Education Team (BPET) — a group of staff and faculty who support students who may have been victims of bias incidents. Click here for more info on bias prevention at William Paterson and how to file a report.

The BPET supports community members who file a report, keeps records of bias incidents, provides community education and analyzes trends to improve the campus environment around equity, including and well-being, Helldobler says.

In 2015, a swastika, racist slur and apparent depiction of lynching was discovered in a residence-hall bathroom at the university. Campus police were called to the scene, and the writing was removed within an hour of its disovery, according to the university. Read more: Racist Message On Bathroom Wall Under Investigation at William Paterson University

Law enforcement around Passaic County reported 66 bias incidents in 2020 — the last full year of available data — according to the New Jersey Office of Attorney General. Twenty-eight of the reported incidents were in Wayne.

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