We are writing as concerned parents of University of Pennsylvania students regarding a deeply troubling incident that has recently circulated on social media. [REDACTED] a [REDACTED] at the university, posted a video where he and his friend use curse words, racial slurs and epithets to denigrate Black people.

 “F— Black people.  F- - k   N - - - - - s.” 

This is unacceptable behavior that has a direct and harmful impact on the safety, mental well-being, and sense of belonging of Black students on campus—including our children. Such statements create a hostile environment that no student should have to navigate, and they undermine Penn's core values of inclusion and respect.

This incident appears to be a clear violation of the University’s Code of Student Conduct, which prohibits discriminatory and harassing behavior that targets individuals or groups based on race or ethnicity. Given the seriousness of this matter, we would like to understand:

• What disciplinary actions the university plans to take in response to these students’ conduct;
• What immediate steps are being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of Black students on campus; and
• How the administration plans to engage with Umoja, the Black Student Union, and other affected student groups to address their concerns and ensure they feel protected and safe as a part of the Penn community.

Words like these are not isolated acts—they contribute to an environment that can feel unsafe and traumatizing for students of color. We urge the university to take swift, transparent, and meaningful action to show that this behavior has no place at Penn and is in direct violation of the University’s Code of Student Conduct. .

Pursuant to the Code of Conduct, we wish to draw your attention to the following:

• The video constitutes more than mere expression; it is a targeted act of racial hostility that affects the dignity, mental well-being, and physical sense of safety of Black students.
• The Code of Student Conduct explicitly states that students are expected “to refrain from conduct towards other students that infringes upon the Rights of Student Citizenship” and that “the University condemns hate speech, epithets, and racial, ethnic, sexual and religious slurs.” 
• The Code also clarifies that while “the content of student speech or expression is not by itself a basis for disciplinary action,” speech may be disciplined when it violates relevant laws or University policies. 
• Moreover, Penn’s Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination policy defines harassment to include “verbal comments, insults, epithets or slurs (including … social media posts)” based on a protected characteristic (such as race), “when … the conduct … is subjectively and objectively offensive … and … severe or pervasive” enough to limit or deny a person’s ability to participate fully in the educational environment. 
• Under that same policy, a single or isolated incident can constitute a violation if sufficiently severe. oeop.upenn.edu
• The University’s Equal Opportunity policy also prohibits retaliation against those who report or complain of discrimination or harassment. 

In short,[REDACTED] and his friend’s words and actions, taken together, are a hostile act of racial harassment that falls squarely within the kinds of misconduct that Penn’s policies purport to prohibit.

Given the foregoing, it is incumbent on the University to take serious disciplinary action consistent with its own Code of Student Conduct and anti-discrimination policy. We therefore ask:

• In compliance with the Code of Student Conduct, and the hostile environment that[REDACTED] and his friend have created for our students and others, we would like to request that this matter be treated with the same severity as the impact it has had on the Black students at Penn.  Our students should not be made to feel uncomfortable or less than on a campus that belongs to them as much as to any other Penn student.  Instead, the perpetrators should be expelled from the University so that they cannot continue to maliciously attack and malign Black students who have every right to be comfortable on Penn’s campus, and treated with the dignity and respect that every Penn student deserves.  
• How will Penn ensure that they are taking every measure necessary to identify the second perpetrator, and give due process to all parties while also delivering a swift and decisive outcome that reflects the gravity of this situation?
• How will Penn enforce its anti-retaliation policy so that those who report or speak out are not subject to further harm?

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

Regards,

Parents of Penn Students