There’s been more fallout from the ongoing racial tensions at Cal Poly. Graffiti showed up on the train trestle over Monterey Street in north San Luis Obispo. Vandals spelled out "Cal Poly racist hicks" on the overcrossing.
Friday evening, the Interfraternity Council released an action plan. The plan would require all fraternities and sororities to revise their bylaws to include anti-discrimination language. Any chapter or member that violates the policy would be placed under immediate review. It would also add another leadership position within the organization that would be responsible for engaging cultural groups on campus.
The tension began earlier this month when a picture of Kyler Watkins with his face painted black at a Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity event was circulated on social media. He later penned a letter to the media apologizing for the incident. The event was the same weekend as Cal Poly’s PolyCultural event.
Students began calling for President Jeff Armstrong and other administrators to do more to improve the cultural climate and diversity on campus.
The students held several protests at Cal Poly’s Open House. Armstrong initially suspended the fraternity and, later, all Greek life after more pictures from other fraternities were posted on social media.
Earlier this week, Armstrong sent another sharply worded letter to the faculty, staff, and students promising to make changes on campus and aggressively investigate all racial incidents.
Related content:
- Cal Poly president addresses free speech, hate speech on campus
- Student board of directors hears concerns about racism at Cal Poly
- Racist vandalism discovered in Cal Poly English building, professor says
- Another incident of racial profiling, cultural appropriation at Cal Poly fraternity
- Cal Poly president suspends Greek Life indefinitely
- Cal Poly protests erupt during welcoming weekend for future students
- Cal Poly president responds to student calls for action following blackface incident
- Friday morning protest at Cal Poly ends, no major issues reported
- Cal Poly student at center of blackface controversy pens letter to media
- Cal Poly fraternity hires private security following Blackface photo scandal
- New Cal Poly fraternity council guidelines issued, members resign after blackface incident
- Students angry, in tears during Cal Poly town hall on blackface photo
- Cal Poly fraternity suspended after blackface, gangster photos surface
- Fraternity apologizes for controversial photo taken at brotherhood event
