Bloomington, IN – Indiana University Police are investigating after a series of extreme antisemitic comments were posted online, targeting Jewish fraternities and students.
The university called the messages “disgusting” and said the person responsible will be held accountable.
For students – it’s a shocking and unexpected display of hate.
“I felt disheartened. My stomach was wrenched. It hurt to see those kind of words spoken about my chapter and my fraternity and my people really,” said Alpha Epsilon Pi President Tyler Burnett.
The comments were posted on a site called “Greek Rank,” an unofficial and anonymous message board that shares gossip about Greek life on campus.
On Sunday, someone shared a series of antisemitic messages, saying about Jewish students “get them off our campus.”
“It totally seemed venomous. It was really an attack,” Burnett said. “One of the posts said, ‘Take them back to gas chambers where they belong. Boycott all the Jewish houses.'”
“Referring to the Holocaust, basically talking about putting us back into gas chambers, get us off campus, really, really horrible, horrific stereotypes,” added Rabbi Sue Silberberg, IU Hillel director. “The worst of any stereotypes about Jews just very abhorrent posts.”
“That was just absolutely disgusting. I mean I heard about it through word of mouth,” said student Lillian Greenlee.
“I’m from Palm Beach, Florida, and honestly I’ve never experienced antisemitism like that,” said Alpha Epsilon Pi member Evan Fredel. “Just reading those words it’s like … just, like a shocker at first. I was really just shocked by the ignorance, honestly.”
“I think they were the worst and most antisemitic posts I’ve ever seen since I’ve been here and I’ve been here for 31 years,” Silberberg said.
The posts are being investigated as a crime.
Campus police are now working to trace the IP address of the person behind the racist remarks.
“I think it was a perfect vehicle for these cowards to speak terrible things without anyone knowing who they are,” Burnett said.
IU Provost and Executive Vice President Rahul Shrivastav shared a letter to students Monday, condemning the messages.
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His letter called the messages “disgusting” and said, “this attempt to anonymously spread hate is cowardly, horrific and simply unacceptable in the IU community.”
Greek Rank, at the university’s request, pulled the antisemitic messages from the site on Monday.
Burnett said campus police have stepped up patrols around Jewish fraternities.
This incident is the latest in a surge of antisemitism at IU.
In the fall, there were a dozen of reports of sacred religious symbols stolen from dormitory doors.
