Duke admin elaborates on email to student body about campus intolerance

updated 2:13 a.m. Sept. 25

Multiple incidents of intolerance toward others have taken place on campus recently, said Zoila Airall, assistant vice president of student affairs for campus life.

Airall notified students of a number of incidents on campus targeting students based on their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality and religion in an email Monday. In an interview, Airall noted that the email was not sent in response to one specific incident. She said she has received four official reports and has had additional conversations with students regarding offensive acts that have occurred on all three campuses.

Airall said incidents—which have happened on East, West and Central campuses—have included offensive words written on doors, defamation of personal property and name calling or insensitive jokes. She noted that the incidents have not targeted a specific minority group, nor have they originated from one group of students.

“I’m not trying to alarm students—that’s definitely not my intent,” Airall said. “I really wanted everyone to just become a little bit more sensitive and responsible to one another and to realize that we all have to live in this community.”

Airall noted that junior Stefani Jones, Duke Student Government vice president for equity and outreach, contacted her after the email was sent and said she was not aware of the incidents occurring. Airall said she hopes the email will serve to foster discussion among students about the Duke Community Standard and incidents like those she described.