The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applauds administrators at Texas A&M University for taking seriously allegations that Black students were taunted and made to feel unwelcome on the A&M campus, for investigating those allegations, and for expressing regret that an incident on their campus hurt visiting students.

According to reports, about 60 students from Uplift Hampton Preparatory School in Dallas were on campus when two of them were approached by a white woman wearing Confederate flag earrings, and asked the students what they thought of them.  Then a group of white students began taunting the Black students using a racial slur.

After A&M President Michael Young sent a campus-wide e-mail expressing outrage at the incident that said “I deeply regret the pain and hurt feeling this incident caused these young students,” and saying it would be investigated fully, ADL sent him a letter expressing thanks for taking swift action.

The letter said: We agree with you that ‘it is the responsibility of all of us to stop any incidents that could be considered hateful or biased, based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other factor.’”

We are grateful to A&M administrators for their commitment to ensuring that all students feel welcome at Texas A&M.  We also are grateful to Student Body President Joseph Benigno for expressing shock and horror at the incident and for telling his fellow students: “We need to make it known that hate has no place in the Aggie family…. Hate is completely incompatible with the Aggie spirit.”

For more information or to set up an interview, call Dena Marks at 832-567-8843.