A series of antisemitic posts on the anonymous campus social media platform Yik Yak were reported to the College last Friday, Dean of the College Gretchen Long and Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leticia S.E. Haynes ’99 announced in an all-campus email. The posts came a day after an anonymous Orthodox Jewish student filed a federal religious discrimination complaint against the College, alleging that he was not provided with adequate housing and dining accommodations because of his religious practices.
In their email, Long and Haynes condemned the use of antisemitic language in the posts. “We remind everyone on campus that such conduct is a violation of Williams’ non-discrimination policies and code of conduct,” they wrote. “Any individual found responsible for such behavior will be held accountable through our disciplinary process.”
The co-presidents of the Williams College Jewish Association (WCJA), Ariella Scheer ’26, Shayna Podhoretz ’26, and Mica Calzolaio ’26 strongly condemned the posts. “As WCJA presidents we remain committed to supporting all Jewish students at Williams and are appalled by the antisemitic content on Yik Yak,” they wrote in an email to the Record. “We are here to support students in whatever way they need or whatever way we are able to.”
The posts expressed various hostile reactions to the student’s complaint. Several comments characterized the student’s request for accommodations as unreasonable and criticized his religious beliefs. Other comments also made offensive jokes and referenced the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, comparing the student’s complaint to the actions of the Israeli government.
Long and Haynes received information about the problematic posts on April 24 — within a day of their posting — from a number of student reports. The College is still investigating the incident, and has not identified the users responsible for the antisemitic posts. “Yik Yak posts are anonymous, making investigations challenging,” Long and Haynes wrote in an email to Record. “We welcome any information identifying who posted the comments.”
According to Long and Haynes, discriminatory incidents have an outsized effect on the College’s tight-knit community. “It is damaging when that safety is shattered, whether by members of our own community, in the case of last week’s antisemitic Yik Yak posts, or by a driver shouting racist comments at students crossing Route 2, as has happened several times this year,” Long and Haynes wrote, referencing the College’s ongoing issues with drive-by hate speech on Route 2. “Hatred and intolerance undermine our mission to build a community rooted in mutual respect.”
College Chaplain and Director of Jewish Life Rabbi Seth Wax also heard from students about the anonymous Yik Yak posts. “I was disgusted and shocked to see what was posted,” Wax wrote in an email to the Record.
Wax met with Jewish students the same day and he said he hopes to offer more support spaces for the Jewish community in the coming weeks. “In cases of antisemitism on campus, my role is to reach out to students, faculty and staff and provide support,” Wax said.
Long and Haynes encouraged students to reach out to Campus Safety Services or the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion if they have information about the individuals responsible for the posts. The College also offers an online system where students can report bias incidents.
