Dear Penn Parents and Friends of Black Penn Students,

I wanted to give you an update on the situation that occurred in October with Ethan Patel, the Penn student who posted a video to his Snapchat account saying "I hate Ni----s".  

Following your support in this petition, I wrote a letter to the Penn Administration (including the President, the Provost, and the Dean of the Undergraduate College) letting them know that the parents of Black Penn students were concerned about an environment that allows for this kind of hate language to go unchecked.  I was told, "Although we do not comment on student disciplinary matters, please do know that we are undertaking a thorough and thoughtful process in response to this issue."   I was also assured that "Penn is strongly committed to preventing discrimination and harassment."

In spite of their words, Ethan Patel is still a Penn student, afforded all of the rights and privileges of other Penn students, while the Black Penn students have been made to feel that their expectation of mental and emotional safety are secondary to Ethan Patel's rights.  

And the administration has gone silent, hiding under the cloak of "student privacy" to enable them to say nothing and do nothing about the vile comments made by Ethan Patel.  They have not even issued a statement from the University denouncing his widely-viewed video.   

I would like to convene a group of parents of Black Penn students to serve on a parent coalition that meets with the University to discuss this situation, and the larger implications for the well-being of the Black students on campus.  At a time when Black people are being attacked at every turn, it is critical that we stand with our students and demand accountability and action on the part of the University.  

Please let me know if you are interested in being a part of the coalition. I can be reached at tvancourt72@gmail.com.  I appreciate your support at this critical time.  

Best,

Tanya

Penn Parent