Changes on University of Maryland campus following fatal stabbing of Bowie State student
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The President of the University of Maryland announced actions the school will take in the wake of the stabbing death of a Bowie State University student over the weekend that is being investigated as a hate crime.
23-year-old Richard Collins III, who had recently been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army and was set to graduate this week from Bowie State, was stabbed and killed on the University of Maryland campus early Saturday morning.
22-year-old Sean Urbanski, a University of Maryland student, has been arrested and is being held without bond in connection to the murder.
President Wallace D. Loh made the announcement online Wednesday. The university's website posted five actions they say will be put into place right away.
"Based on advice I have received from a broad coalition of campus partners, I am announcing the following University actions, effective immediately," Loh's statement said.
University of Maryland Actions in Wake of Richard Collins III Murder
1. We have asked the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI) to create a trained, rapid-response team for any hate-bias incident. This action team--comprised of faculty, staff, and students--would provide support and services to any member of our community who is the subject of a hate incident.
2. We will allocate $100,000 in supplemental funds for the ODI to support diversity and inclusion efforts that educate all members of our community.
3. We will task the Office of Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct to lead in the development and dissemination of an annual report on all hate-bias incidents on campus. This will provide information about incident rates and ongoing prevention, response and education measures.
4. We will ask the Athletic Council to immediately consider how to strengthen existing Intercollegiate Athletics policy to explicitly prohibit any hate-bias symbols or actions in any athletic venue, subject to immediate removal of the violator from that venue.
5. We will establish a task force on hate-bias and campus safety--comprised of faculty, staff, students, and alumni--to conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant university policies and procedures. This task force will submit a final report with recommendations and guidelines to foster an environment where hate is not tolerated.
-- It should engage the entire UMD community on difficult issues at the intersections of free speech, hate speech, and freedom of association.
-- It should consider strengthened or new educational and curricular initiatives, and any special programming.
-- And, it should work with UMD's communications staff on a public awareness effort to inform our campus community about its work.
A memorial service was held for Collins last night and a moment of silence was observed at what would have been his graduation ceremony.
A vigil was held earlier in the week.
Police have called the incident an unprovoked attack and are still investigating the incident.