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The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
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Gardner Building Construction Site Vandalized With Racial Slurs

The+construction+site+of+the+new+Carolyn+and+Kem+Gardner+Building+at+the+University+of+Utah%2C+Salt+Lake+City%2C+UT+5%2F14%2F17.%0A%0APhoto+by+Adam+Fondren%2FDaily+Utah+Chronicle
Adam Fondren
The construction site of the new Carolyn and Kem Gardner Building at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 5/14/17. Photo by Adam Fondren/Daily Utah Chronicle

Vandals wrote anti-Black slurs at the construction site for the new Carolyn and Kem Gardner building at the University of Utah over the weekend.

Construction crews found the damage Monday morning, and later painted over and removed the graffiti. The U notified students of the incident via email shortly after.

“[Racial slurs] are unacceptable and harmful to our campus community,” the U said in a statement.

According to U spokesperson Chris Nelson, three local high school students were arrested Tuesday by the U’s Department of Public Safety in regard to the incident. All three are minors and are being referred to juvenile court for trespass and criminal mischief charges.

An initial release said that some items were stolen from the property, however, U Police Chief Dale Brophy later told the Daily Utah Chronicle that nothing was discovered missing.

Police are not disclosing specifically what was written on the building, but Brophy said more information will later be released in a statement. He wasn’t able to give a timeline for that statement, however, because the investigation is still ongoing.

In response to this incident and others targeting Black students and people of color, including racist flyers being posted on campus earlier this year, the U is forming an Anti-Racism Task Force that Nelson said the school will announce later this week.

@Claudiavrobles_

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@emilyreanderson

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This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Comments (3)

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  • Z

    Zen WindowsNov 15, 2017 at 6:27 pm

    I own my own window company and I’m always searching for newer info in the industry.
    Enjoyed the read. You’ve got a great site BTW.

    Reply
  • J

    johnOct 19, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    I am disgusted to read what happened and how ignorant and hate-filled people are today…and even more frustrated that these were teenagers – demonstrating for all to see that their degenerate thinking and beliefs and rearing by their parents continues to foster this hideous and pervasive culture that attacks fellow human beings because they aren’t part of their own big homogeneous, inbred community of hate.

    I hope they might learn from their errors…but fear that is too much to hope for.

    Reply
  • M

    marilynOct 19, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    Their parents should be embarrassed for this type of behavior, but most of the time this behavior is encouraged by the parents. how insecure some people to stoop this low or even to encourage this. You”re children are raised with insecurities when you imprint this in their minds, sooo sad they are not taught how diversity will broaden their horizons and racisms limit their thinking and abilities. You should be held accountable for your actions and the authorities that don’t hold you responsible are encouraging this same bad behavior that will always repeat itself until they themselves are affected.

    Reply