OHSU released a statement stating in part, “We regret any distress it caused and acted quickly to remove it. OHSU does not tolerate harassment or intimidation of any kind.”
Two weeks ago, another noose was found at Chapman Elementary in northwest Portland. That noose was found in an area where only maintenance and custodial staff have access to.
One parent said, “Let’s look at it for what it is and address the root of it and let’s do something for the better of all of our children.”
KOIN 6 spoke with Randy Blazak, the chair of the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crimes. He said, “It might just be a noose to some people but to some people, it represents 200 years of terrorism. That’s a very powerful symbol.”
But there’s a new Oregon law to address bias crimes and incidents called Oregon Senate Bill 577. Blazak said, “We have this new law that is unfolding as we speak and it will provide resources for people who are experiencing these hate incidents that are crimes or not crimes.”
At OHSU, campus police have reviewed surveillance footage. Yet, the cameras did not capture the specific area the noose was found in. Officers are also reviewing who accessed the building with badge reader data. University officials said there are harsh consequences for those who are hostile toward others, and they encourage anyone who has witnessed harassment or intimidation to report it.
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