Dear St. Francis College community,

As a follow-up to yesterday’s statement, we want to be clear, St. Francis College is aware of the situation and shares in your outrage at the incident and allegations. For our community, this behavior, as witnessed, is beyond inappropriate and we stand with all of you as we denounce this horrifying act of racism, bigotry, and harassment against the Jewish people.

Federal privacy rules prevent the College from publicly discussing such matters, but please be advised that the College is investigating the incident in accordance with SFC’s Code of Conduct and will take the appropriate actions aligned with our internal processes and procedures. With our community, we remain hopeful that law enforcement’s investigation of the incident results in the appropriate action.

St. Francis College is a caring community of students and employees from a broad range of backgrounds with differing beliefs. Our learning environment respects the right to debate openly but we denounce any conduct that targets individuals due to the color of their skin, their religious beliefs, ethnicity, political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability or national origins.

We are committed to ensuring SFC is an inclusive campus where all are safe and welcome and are committed to the same in our community in Brooklyn and beyond. Allegations such as these strike at the heart of the Franciscan values we hold dear and will be handled accordingly.

The offices of Mission, Ministry & Interfaith Dialogue, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Health Promotions & Wellness and Multicultural Affairs will follow-up soon with more information about Healing Circles to address the most recent events of trauma and violence against the Jewish community.

In solidarity,

Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz, President
Dr. Jeanne Arnold, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer and Chief of Staff
Dr. Stanley Bazile, Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students
Hayley Dryer, Vice President and General Counsel
Reza Fakhari, Vice President for Internationalization and Strategic Projects
Irma Garcia, Director of Athletics
Matthew Hogan, Acting Chief Information Officer & Executive Director of IT Operations & Client Services
Dr. Jennifer Lancaster, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean
Maureen Lawrence, Chief Financial Officer
Monique Moore-Pryor, Chief Engagement & External Affairs Officer
Robert Oliva, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management
Kevin O’Rourke, Vice President for Facilities Management and Capital Projects
Linda Werbel, Vice President for Government and Community Relations, Title IX Coordinator