Two Jewish students attacked outside the student center; hate-crime investigation

Earlier this evening, you received a Public Safety alert about a battery that occurred in front of the Student Center on the Lincoln Park Campus at approximately 3:20 p.m. this afternoon. I'm appalled to share that the attack targeted two Jewish students at DePaul who were visibly showing their support for Israel. Masked attackers punched our students, who sustained physical injuries but declined medical treatment. Student Affairs is working with the students to offer care and resources. We are outraged that this occurred on our campus. It is completely unacceptable and a violation of DePaul's values to uphold and care for the dignity of every individual. The university is actively working with the Chicago Police Department to investigate this incident so that they can determine whether to classify it as a hate crime that targeted our students because of their Jewish identity. We will do all we can to hold those responsible accountable for this outrageous incident. We will continue to do everything possible to ensure DePaul is a safe and welcoming space for every member of our diverse university community. We recognize that for a significant portion of our Jewish community, Israel is a core part of their Jewish identity. Those students – and every student - should feel safe on our university campus. Our shared expectations and guiding principles make it clear that DePaul will not tolerate any acts of hatred or violence. Please know that the safety and wellbeing of our university community remains our highest priority. If you have information regarding this incident or experience any threats or acts of violence, please report them immediately to Public Safety at 773-325-7777 (Lincoln Park) or 312-362-8400 (Loop). If you are in need of support, a collection of resources for students, faculty and staff is available here.