Public Statements

Antisemitism on Social Media

October 20, 2023

Tags Public Statements

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Several students recently alerted us to ignorant, offensive, antisemitic comments made on Jodel, an anonymous app that allows users within a specific geographic region to communicate with each other, whether they are on campus or in the local area.

Antisemitism and all other forms of bigotry and intolerance are antithetical to our values and have no place on our campus. The comments shared with us seem designed to foster anxiety and division at a time when both antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise. Such comments undermine individuals’ sense of belonging, security, and emotional well-being.

We should all consider the impact of social media on our community and be intentional about our use of the various platforms. Social media applications can be a positive resource for sharing information and building community. However, they can also be used to propagate hate and misinformation. Here are some things we encourage the community to consider while using social media applications:

•  Jodel is an anonymous platform.  We cannot identify who posts messages and have no control over what is posted. We have, however, contacted the developers of this app to report the posts and request that they be taken down.
•  With all social media apps, we encourage you to be reflective about what you post or repost.  Resist the inclination to post without reflection on the impact of a post on the wider community.
•  Use every application's moderating features, report inappropriate posts, and do all you can to protect our community and the individuals within it.
•  If you experience or become aware of hateful activity on our campus, please notify the Campus Safety department or the Dean of Students office immediately.

Sincerely,

David Wippman, President
Chris Card, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Sean Bennett, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion