http://www.pressrepublican.com/news...cle_a781c5e8-132b-11e8-8fd6-bba949ae16f7.html
tl;dr people start riots over fucking snapchat
Oh, right, forgot the pic.
300 of these angry kids showed up at Ettling's house to scream at him all day.
PLATTSBURGH — Students are protesting and the administration is condemning a racist Snapchat that circulated at SUNY Plattsburgh.
The post, including the phrase “Lynching Niggers Tonight,” was posted in late January within a small group chat, according to SUNY Plattsburgh Chief Diversity Officer Dr. J.W. Wiley.
“One of the members of the group chat, upon seeing the post, chastised the female perpetrator and then removed herself from the group,” he said. “Unbeknownst to the group members, the offended woman is biracial, with one of her parents African-American.”
As word of the post circulated, concern mounted. Some students distributed a screenshot of the Snapchat message on social media and on paper so others would know about the original post.
Protests were held on campus Thursday night, and on Friday, students marched to the Clinton County Government Center to hold a rally there.
During a standing-room-only forum Friday evening, the Student Association put forth a written list of demands based on input gathered from other student groups and individuals.
Those demands included seeking the resignations of SUNY Plattsburgh President John Ettling, Wiley, Provost Michael Morgan and Director of Student Conduct Larry Allen for failure to adequately respond to issues of racism and other concerning incidents.
The Association also called for VP Student Affairs Bryan Hartman to be appointed interim president.
‘FLAMES OF HATE’
Ettling first responded to the unrest Wednesday in a campus-wide email, saying that once SUNY Plattsburgh officials became aware of the issue, they “promptly investigated and identified the source.
“Such images are not only inconsistent with our values, they are also subject to review under the Student Code of Conduct,” he said in the email.
“While no amount of training or conversation can extinguish the flames of hate, as the events (Wednesday) at the school in Florida sadly amplify, every available amount of our energy must be and will be spent on efforts to not only fight these fires but prevent them from starting. We will not stop learning, teaching and working at this.”
PROTEST RALLY
On Thursday night, students, faculty, and staff packed a large lecture hall in Yokum for a forum that lasted about two and a half hours.
Wiley, who was in attendance along with Ettling, Police Chief Jerry Lottie, VP Student Affairs Bryan Hartman and EOP Director Kyla Relaford, described the students as “very concerned, deeply insulted.”
Wiley said they “passionately challenged the administration to respond to the incident swiftly and decisively.
“The students spoke about their frustrations with what seemed to them to be a never-ending onslaught of racial incidents that occur on campus.
“A consistent theme of many of the black students was a concern over their safety in a predominantly white college town. From racial epithets yelled from cars, to graffiti displaying dysfunctional language, to trucks with confederate flags menacing students by hurling obscenities as they drive up Rugar (Street), the students accused the administration of inadequate leadership when it came to racial incidents,” Wiley said.
He said the students threatened to protest through means such as withdrawals, marches, office visits, social-media campaigns and transfers if the people responsible for the Snapchat post weren’t expelled.
Wiley said the conversation ended suddenly “when many students became perturbed at the discussion and unilaterally stormed out.”
That led to a protest that swept across the campus.
ACTIONS PLANNED
In another email Thursday evening, Ettling told the campus community that “the voices of student speakers tonight were loud and clear” and that the statements were appreciated and heard by his administration.
“Although federal law prohibits me from discussing individual student records, please know that actions were taken based on new information heard tonight,” he said.
“Draft changes were made tonight to further strengthen our Code of Conduct manual. A diverse group, including student leaders, met for three hours following the forum. The areas cover bullying, harassment, disorderly conduct and endangerment and will be solidified soon.
“Efforts to improve the diversity of the Student Conduct Board will be undertaken by increasing the ways by which we solicit participation.”
He said faculty would be urged not to penalize students who missed classes to protest, and he gave information on counseling availability and an opportunity today for more input.
“We will continue to listen, learn and lead on this matter, showing — not just telling — that we don’t tolerate hate,” Ettling concluded.
PROUD OF STUDENTS
Wiley described the forum and protest as “painfully and yet beautifully surreal.
“As a black man, I was highly insulted by the post itself, concerned that anyone would think it is appropriate to say such a thing and yet quite proud that the students were united and steadfast in their position that drastic changes were necessary,” he said.
DOWNTOWN PROTEST
Hundreds of students marched down Brinkerhoff Street early Friday afternoon and held a rally outside the Clinton County Government Center.
Speakers stood on the steps, using a megaphone to speak to the crowd of mostly young people gathered outside.
“The duty of you is to challenge corruption,” one speaker, Rahmel Pacheco, said to cheers from the crowd.
Plattsburgh City Police had a few cars parked discretely nearby and directed traffic but did not interfere with the rally.
The students then headed back down Brinkerhoff, chanting: “This is what democracy looks like” and “No Trump. No KKK. No racist USA,” to gather outside Ettling’s home.
There, they met with Wiley, Relaford and Title IX Coordinator Butterfly Blaise to discuss a written list of demands before some students entered the home to speak with the college president.
The gathering Friday night at the Campus Center filled every chair set up in the large ballroom, with many other students standing along the walls.
tl;dr people start riots over fucking snapchat
Oh, right, forgot the pic.
300 of these angry kids showed up at Ettling's house to scream at him all day.
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