An antisemitic flyer was found on FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus on Friday around the Ziff Educational Building.
The flyer was found just at the beginning of Passover, a major Jewish holiday celebrating the historic exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
The flyer is identical to those placed around Miami Beach several months ago by the white supremacist group ‘Goyim Defense League’ or GDL.
“FIUPD has been made aware and we are investigating to determine the origin and if criminal activity occurred,” said FIU Police Chief Alexander Casas.
According to Casas, the flyers do not constitute hate speech but FIUPD is currently looking to see what criminal statutes were violated, if any.
FIUPD is also currently working with federal counterparts to determine any commonalities between this incident and previous ones.
In a university-wide email on Saturday, Interim President Kenneth Jessell condemned the act and offered support to students, faculty and staff affected by the incident.
“Antisemitism is wrong and will not be tolerated at FIU. Our university is committed to a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all,” the email stated. “Every member of our Panther family and the community that we serve should feel welcome, safe, and supported. Hateful speech and actions simply do not align with our values as an institution.”
Jessell encouraged anyone who has seen or experienced discrimination or harassment to report it to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility or file a report on the incident reporting website.
The email added that students affected by the incident can reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and that Faculty and staff resources are available through FIU’s Office of Employee Assistance (OEA).