As students at Michigan’s Calvin College headed to class on Monday, they were greeted by inches of newly fallen snow—and “white power” messages scratched into the fresh powder.
Calvin College President Michael K. Le Roy condemned the “hateful” messages on social media early Monday.
“This morning we woke up to hateful, racialized and profane statements that were written in the snow on several cars on campus,” Le Roy wrote on Facebook. “Hateful acts such as these violate the image of God in all people, exhibit the sin and brokenness we experience in human community and have no place at Calvin College.”
This morning we woke up to profane and racist statements written on some cars. This has no place at Calvin College. https://t.co/9bDYN2F9ir
— Michael Le Roy (@MKLeRoy) November 23, 2015
Le Roy pledged to conduct a thorough investigation on the Grand Rapids campus. He said he would provide the community with further information about the incident after meeting with other school administrators.
James Li, a student at the small Christian college, shared a photo that was purportedly taken last night outside the Kalsbeek-Huizenga-Van Reken residence hall. The image shows the words “White Power” and a Swastika traced onto a car hood.
Similar racially-charged incidents have raised tensions on other campuses across the country in recent weeks, including Harvard University, the University of Missouri and Yale University.