As I begin my third week as the president of the George Washington University, I feel compelled to write to our community about the tragic events that took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Va.
While I will not be commenting on every issue that faces our country, I believe as a university we must condemn acts of racism and hate that are directly counter to our core values of tolerance, diversity and peaceful discourse.
As an institution of higher learning, we value free speech and encourage our students and faculty with differing points of view to engage in open-minded dialogue. However, we will not tolerate violence or hatred in the guise of free speech on our campuses.
The university community in Charlottesville was attacked by white supremacy and neo-Nazi groups who stand for racial and religious intolerance and hatred. We condemn their actions and offer our sincere condolences to the families who lost loved ones due to the senseless violence in Charlottesville.
