Tennessee college campus denies existence of racist messages

A student at a Tennessee college fabricated racist messages found on campus in an attempt to make Donald Trump supporters appear negatively.

Rhodes College has confirmed to Planet Chronicle Digital that a student has admitted to leaving the messages found on campus over Thanksgiving break, which were being investigated as hate crimes. However, it was later discovered that the incident was another race hoax.

The investigation into the hate crime on our campus has ended with the identification of the perpetrator and the conclusion that the incident was fabricated. The individual responsible has admitted guilt.

Our community has been greatly affected by this issue, and we are taking all necessary measures to ensure that the responsible party is held accountable, including exploring all legal options.

An investigation into racist messages was initiated by the school after flyers were discovered near the National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza, which honors the school's nine historically Black Greek organizations.

A local Memphis CBS affiliate reported that 13 pieces of paper with Trump Rules and racial slurs about Black people were discovered in the area of campus.

Lauren Roberts, a student and member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, confirmed the content of the racist messages and described them as "vulgar" days after they were discovered.

Another student criticized the messages, stating to WREG, "I disagreed with them. Many of my friends were upset about it."

On November 30, the Critical Campus Safety Communications office at the school issued a "Timely Warning" to inform students of a racial slur.

The hate crime investigation is ongoing after a report of intimidation based on racial bias was made. On Saturday, November 30, 2024, writings containing profanity and a racial slur were discovered near the NPHC monument.

The school is actively investigating the individual who left a hateful message on campus during the Thanksgiving break. Despite this, the investigation is ongoing. As a community, the school is strongly committed to diversity, inclusion, belonging, civility, and respect, and does not tolerate racial bias or hate speech.