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(MLive | File)

The tradition of hanging a whiteboard from a dormitory door will no longer be part of campus life at Michigan State University after reports of a racist bullying incident

The Lansing NAACP writes on Facebook that a "young African American honors student" had a racial slur written on her whiteboard.

The whiteboard ban will effect in the upcoming fall semester in East Lansing, MLive media partner WLNS-TV reports.

Michigan State's residential communications director tells the Lansing-based television station that this specific incident was just one in a growing trend.

"It had become more of a distraction than a helpful tool," Kat Cooper told WLNS. "Once in a while someone will write something that isn't very nice. Whiteboards have been decreasing in popularity since the rise of social media and texting and cell phones and all of those things."

Some of the students who spoke to WLNS called the move by MSU an unnecessary one. Freshman Sofia Sokansanj told the T.V. station that "people are going to say things no matter what" and that the boards were generally viewed as an encouraging or light-hearted outlet.