MSU President M. Peter McPherson on Tuesday characterized a hateful flier posted in Shaw Hall as "reprehensible, cruel and degrading."
A hall complex director filed a police report this week after an insensitive flier was found posted on the dorm's walls. "We all have First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, yet with those rights come responsibilities that our community reasonably accepts - and that flier goes beyond those formal rules," McPherson said.
The flier - written partly in German and mimicking a black caucus book club advertisement - invited students to a "White Caucus" event.
The background displays a naked pregnant woman and text translates to "The eighth annual 2003 International Sodomy Performance" and "An orgasmic night from the heathen intercourse," according to German Professor Karin Wurst.
The flier, which was found Jan. 11 during a mentor's rounds, also provided Shaw Hall Black Caucus executive board members' phone numbers as contact information.
The hall's complex director, Tracy Bobertz, filed a police report Monday following a Friday meeting with university and hall officials.
Lee June, MSU vice president for student affairs and services, attended the meeting and agreed it was necessary to file a police report about the incident.
"I think when incidents happen on campus, obviously there could be someone who perpetuated the act, and the role of the police is to start an investigation," he said. "I thought it was very offensive, and I can understand how it upset African-American students.
"When a community feels that something is done that offends that community, we as an administration need to speak out and give support and use it as an opportunity to educate."
The flier specifically spread negative messages about black women, said Nikki O'Brien, coordinator for African American Student Affairs in the Office of Racial Ethnic Student Affairs.
"The nature of the flier had some sexual predatory overtones toward black women, because of the placement of some of the text, and because the three caucus leaders mentioned are black women," she said.
In response to the incident, Shaw Hall's Residence Life Department and Black Caucus will hold an informational meeting at 9 p.m. Thursday in the west lower lounge addressing the flier and how it has affected students.
Racial ethnic student aide Paul Williams said the meeting will also serve to clear up misconceptions about the Black Caucus and what it represents.
"We want this instance to serve as a preventative act, so that it doesn't happen again," he said. "This should not be taken lightly, and it's important for all races to recognize that racism is still prevalent, and people should take action against racism."
Shaw Hall Black Caucus President Jonathan Parker said the experience opened his eyes to racial tensions on campus.
"I was mad when I found out about the flier, but I was also mad because I thought I had good chemistry with all ethnicities in my building," Parker said.
"This being my first experience with racism on campus opens my eyes, and now I know that it's not getting any better on this campus."
