Colorado University Investigating Allegation Student Received Anti-Semitic Note, Rat Poison

The University of Northern Colorado is reportedly investigating an allegation that a student received a note blaming Jews for the COVID-19 pandemic and that the note had rat poison attached to it.

The Greeley Tribune reported that on December 15, an Instagram account called Jewish on Campus – an account that highlights anti-Semitism on college campuses – posted an allegation from an anonymous student stating, “Someone left a note on my door that said, ‘Jews created COVID-19 to subvert the white race.’ This note was covered with stickers of various Jewish caricatures. A bag of rat poison was taped to the bag.”

 

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University Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer Tobias Guzman responded in the comments section that the university is “very concerned” about the alleged incident and urged the student “to reach out to us so we can do a proper investigation.”

Guzman told the Tribune on December 29 that the student still hasn’t contacted the university over the matter and the Jewish on Campus account hasn’t responded to their inquiries. He acknowledged that it could be tough for the student to come forward because “when marginalized populations are impacted and … if they have this threatening feeling to it, there’s this feeling of being a target and … of ‘I don’t want to disclose who I am because more action can take place.’ But if we want to eradicate, eliminate and destroy these kinds of behaviors, then obviously we need to take the next step.”

Liora Rez, director of the Stop Antisemitism.org watchdog, said in a statement to the Journal, “This is a demonic attempt to physically harm a Jewish student. We hope the individual(s) who are responsible are quickly identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Guzman also told the Tribune that a swastika was found on a campus bathroom earlier in 2020, and the university was quick to remove the swastika and replace it with a notice stating that such symbols have no place on campus.

“Our goal is to always let the campus know that we denounce these types of actions,” he said.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center listed the pandemic as the worst anti-Semitic incident of 2020, noting that the pandemic has been “weaponized” against Jews and Asians. There have been several examples in 2020 scapegoating Jews for the pandemic.

This is a developing story.