By The Associated Press
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Some students at Michigan Tech University say the administration hasn't reacted strongly enough to a series of anti-gay slogans scrawled on campus walkways earlier this month.
During a forum last week night, graduate student Cynthia Weber said she was disappointed with a campus-wide e-mail that President Glenn Mroz sent after the chalked graffiti was discovered April 7.
The e-mail concluded by noting that such things also happen at other schools. That could have led the guilty people to believe what they did was no big deal, Weber said.
"They are not children, let's not infantize them," she said. "This is scary."
Caroline Taylor, an associate professor of chemistry, agreed.
"We have told them a hate crime will be tolerated," she said. "What we've said to students is that we only care about some of them. We should be ashamed of our response."
Betty Chavis, director of outreach and multiethnic educational opportunities, defended Mroz. "I like this president," she said. "At least there's dialogue going on and he's here."
Mroz thanked the crowd for its candor as the gathering ended.
"I learned a lot tonight," he said, adding that he believed the crime would be solved. "Word will get out that this isn't tolerated."
