BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Western Washington University sent a strong message today that it will not tolerate acts of hate on campus, after library books on Jewish studies were damaged by vandals.
In all, seven books located throughout Wilson Library were either ripped apart or defaced by hateful slurs last month.
The news prompted community members to come forward and donated more than 120 books on Judaism to the school.
A special shelving ceremony happened today on campus.
“The willful destruction of books because of their subject matter has a long and dark history and will not be tolerated,” said Mark Greenberg, WWU’s dean of libraries.
The school said the library has no security cameras, but University Police are investigating this case and stepping up patrols.
They are also looking into a separate incident on campus where someone drew a swastika outside a faculty member’s office.
For now, the university said it’s focused on celebrating inclusion both at WWU at beyond.
“To me having a dialogue about our hidden fears are is probably the best we can do,” said University President Sabah Randhawa.
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