On Friday, a Clery Act email was sent to Cal Poly community members describing the events of a hate crime that occurred on campus.
On Sunday, an unidentified male stuck his head out of the passenger side window of a passing truck and shouted “Death to Israel” at two Jewish students, according to the email.
The incident occurred between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. at the crosswalk on Grand Avenue between the Yosemite residence halls and yakʔitʸutʸu. The truck, described as black with no distinguishing features, continued south down Grand Avenue.
Shortly following the Clery Act notification, Cal Poly received another email, this time from the Office of the President.
This was the second official statement President Jefferey Armstrong made about the Israel-Hamas war this week.
President Armstrong’s first email was sent out Thursday and stated that Cal Poly would not be commenting on the conflict. However, it was met with pushback from students and campus community members.
“On Thursday I sent you a message that was meant to reassure, but it failed badly in that effort,” Armstrong wrote in his second email.
In his email, Armstrong acknowledged the impact of the war on Cal Poly students and the alleged hate crime that occurred on campus.
“It sickens me that something like this would happen on our campus,” Armstrong wrote. “These acts of hate targeting valued members of our campus are unacceptable and reprehensible.”
He closed out the email by sharing his sympathy for those affected by the conflict in Israel and Gaza and shared some available campus resources, including contact information for Cal Poly’s Employee Assistance Program and Campus Health’s counseling services.
The same two emails were later sent to parents and supporters on Friday evening.
Editor’s Note: Mustang News is referring to the ongoing conflict as the Israel-Hamas war based on the Associated Press Stylebook recommendations for the conflict.