18/12/2018
Chloe Long was the Black and Minority Ethnicities (BME) officer for Lancaster University Students Union, until she was removed from office 48 hours after sharing photographs that had already been posted on a university Facebook page. Chloe’s actions were effectively whistleblowing about the slow progress in dealing with disgusting slogans worn on t-shirts by attendees at a social event at the university.
The vile slogans were seen by those who attended the ‘white t-shirt’ social organised by the Lancaster University’s SnowsportsSociety on 12thOctober 2018. Whilst there are suggestions that some attendees were offended by what they saw on the t-shirts, it is not clear whether any official complaints were made at the time.
The issue began to build when pictures were added to the website of the university’s student night club, Sugarhouse. This led to the commencement of an investigation, after Chloe raised her concerns with the Students Union. She had, quite correctly, flagged some of the slogans as being homophobic, racist and xenophobic. Other writing on the shirts appeared to condone or promote paedophilia.
Members of Snow Sports Society wore white t-shirts with obscene graffiti daubed on them. The slogans included:
“'Mandela touched kids”;
“Jimmy Saville was misunderstood”;
“I like 12 year olds”;
“f*** gay rights”;
“I've got muscles cus dad raped me”;
“Sandyhook woz bantz”; and
“Free Tommy Robinson”.
Shirts also had symbols such as the Nazi Swastika, symbolising sympathies with fascist groups.
The Snowsports Society club and the group members who wore the offensive t-shirts were put under investigation by the Students Union, but progress was extremely slow. Four weeks after the concerns were raised, no action had been taken against the perpetrators and the Lancaster University BME Students Network decided to take action. They shared the pictures on Facebook, saying, “The university has been aware of this situation for some time and has chosen not to inform students, so we are writing this post today… to openly condemn these actions when the university won’t.”
The BME Students Network said the t-shirts represented “a blatant lack of compassion, respect, and common decency towards their class mates.”
The Lancaster University Feminist Society has also voiced their concerns about the situation, saying, “Not only is it unacceptable that these members and the society have not faced repercussions for their actions, it is also completely unacceptable that Lancaster University has failed to take action to make our university a safer place. This event was not an isolated incident.”
What is staggering to me, as I write this piece for Just My Opinion, is that whilst they hadn’t made any progress with the investigation into the original complaint after four weeks, they took action against Chloe Long within 48 hours!
Surely a hate crime, which is what these slogans represent, is something that should be given the greatest priority.
My latest understanding is that now, two months after the party where the t-shirts had been worn, the members who wore the shirts are finally facing suspension.
This is, however, a further example of the rise in xenophobia in the UK over the last few years; which has only accelerated in the period since the 2016 EU referendum. These, supposedly well educated, young people are privileged to be able to attend university to further their education. Their actions are such that they should not be allowed that privilege.
The university has suffered from a number of xenophobic abuse issues, including some linked to sexism, racism and homophobia. I do not have data to suggest these are any worse at Lancaster University than they are elsewhere, but the actions of these students will not dissuade further attacks.
This is why it is important to stand up to all forms of discrimination. Diversity and inclusion should be part of the education of our children from an early age. Maybe, if we tackle the issues of xenophobia at primary school, and reinforce it through secondary schools, colleges and universities, we will finally start to make a sustainable difference.
We are all the same underneath.
On a positive note, there have been protests at the university with people using the hashtag #IStandWithChloe.
In my opinion, and after all that’s what this website is about, Chloe should appeal the suspension. I hope she is offered an apology and that those who have dithered about the original investigation are instead asked to step down from their roles.
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