A racial slur was yelled out of a gray minivan driven by what appeared to be a white male wearing sunglasses on Route 2 at 11:00 a.m. last Wednesday. This marks the fifth racial bias incident reported this academic year. A student alerted the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the incident, according to an all-campus email sent by Director of Campus Safety Services (CSS) Jeff Palmer.

Palmer told the Record that last Wednesday’s incident was the first reported on Route 2 during the spring semester. Similar bias incidents in the fall prompted CSS to increase its presence along Route 2. In November, an individual in a white pickup truck on Hoxsey Street harassed students, shouting racial slurs and threatening physical violence.

Palmer explained that CSS has increased its presence in the last few weeks. “With warm weather returning CSS has already been spending more time at the crosswalks when able between calls,” he wrote to the Record. “In the coming weeks we’re scheduling some overtime shifts dedicated to the crosswalk areas, specifically trying to tie them to anticipated nice weather when more people may be driving with their windows down.”

Palmer’s all-campus email asks anyone with information about the incident to contact CSS. “If you have any information regarding this incident, please reach out to the Campus Safety Services at 413-597-4444,” he wrote.

Palmer also shared information about resources available for community members. “The college is committed to ensuring that all members of our community feel safe and welcome,” he wrote. “Our colleagues in the Chaplains’ Office, the Davis Center, and Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are available to provide support, as are the teams in the Dean of the College’s office and Integrative Wellbeing Services.”