Cal Poly investigates hate crime after student finds note with racial slur in apartment
A Cal Poly student was the victim of a hate crime after someone broke into their on-campus apartment and left a note containing a racial slur, the San Luis Obispo university said.
The student found their University Housing apartment window “forcibly opened from the outside” and discovered an anonymous note containing a racial slur dropped inside, according to a campuswide message emailed Friday by the Cal Poly president’s office.
The break-in occurred on Thursday, and the student reported the incident to Cal Poly Police that night, said Matt Lazier, a university spokesman.
The campus message sent by the Office of the President did not include information about where the break-in occurred and did not reveal the nature of the slur written in the note.
Lazier declined to provide additional details about the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
However, he wrote in an email, “there is nothing to indicate an immediate threat to students’ safety.”
“This is a repulsive act — one that, in targeting one member of our community, does harm to our entire university,” the campuswide message said. “Our Dean of Students’ Office, Office of Equal Opportunity and University Housing are in contact with the student to provide care and support.”
The Cal Poly Police Department is investigating the incident as a hate crime and is sending evidence to the San Luis Obispo County crime lab to help identify suspects, the message said.
“We will seek to hold whoever is responsible for this act accountable through all available legal and administrative processes,” the Cal Poly message said. “While hate, racism and prejudice exist at Cal Poly, they are counter to our values and mission and will not be accepted. Those who engage in hateful harassment or violence are not welcome here and will be rooted out.”
The university encourages anyone with information about the break-in and the note to contact the Cal Poly Police Department at 805-756-2281 or Crime Stoppers at 805-549-7867.
