East Tennessee State University president 'disgusted' by 'It's Okay To Be White' flyers

Jason Gonzales | The Tennessean

East Tennessee State University's president said on Monday he is "disgusted" by the placement of "It's Okay To Be White" signs throughout the campus, including to cover a memorial dedicated to the school's first black students.

ETSU President Brian Noland said in a statement Monday to students, faculty and staff that the school is investigating the early Friday morning incident and is seeking tips that could lead to the identification and prosecution of those that placed the signs throughout numerous areas of the campus.

"It is clear that the posting and placement of these flyers was an attempt to create division in our community and I am disgusted by this act," Noland said.

The racist flyers at the school are one of several similar incidents that have occurred recently at colleges throughout the nation. Colleges throughout the country have sporadically experienced similar incidents in the last three years.

"These flyers were identical to those placed on college campuses across the country by white supremacist groups in an attempt to seed division and discord," Noland said. "In an act of vandalism, flyers were placed on Borchuck Plaza over the memorial plaques of those five pioneering individuals who desegregated our institution during the 1950s."

Noland said school staff moved quickly to remove the flyers from the campus.

The school is also providing support to students through its counseling and human resources offices, as well as its equity and inclusion and multicultural centers.

The school will continue to be inclusive, Noland said, as well as serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration.

"Our core values are clear: people come first and are treated with dignity and respect," Noland said. "We recognize the wounds that this incident has opened and have multiple resources available should anyone need support."

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Reach Jason Gonzales at jagonzales@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ByJasonGonzales.