Matheson Reading Room at Emory University. Source: Wikimedia commons

This story has been updated. 

A Jewish fraternity at Emory targeted by vandals who left antisemitic graffiti on their frat house is now being accused of racism.

An email from Ajay Nair, Emory’s Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life, published on Reddit says that the university is investigating an incident an intramural flag football game played on Oct. 20.

“The university administration was recently made aware of allegations that a bias incident occurred at Monday’s intramural flag football game between the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) Fraternity and another team comprised of Emory students,” the letter says. “Witnesses allege that during the game, AEPi’s opposing team was subjected to behavior that violated our community principles of inclusivity, openness, and respect.

“The university has undertaken a full investigation of the incident in accordance with our Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy.”

According to accounts published on Reddit and Twitter, one of the AEPi members allegedly told a member of another team to “Go back to India.” The AEPi team is also accuse of chanting “USA, USA!” at the other team.

Emory University officials published a copy of the email on the university’s website.

It’s a surprising turn of events from a few weeks ago. The Emory campus rallied in support of the fraternity after someone spray-painted the Alpha Epsilon Pi house with graffiti, including swastikas, on the morning of Oct. 5, a day after the end of Yom Kippur. The university’s police department requested assistance from the FBI in its investigation of that incident.

This is the email from Ajay Nair that was sent to students on Oct. 21.

Dear Members of the Emory Community,

The university administration was recently made aware of allegations that a bias incident occurred at Monday’s intramural flag football game between the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) Fraternity and another team comprised of Emory students. Witnesses allege that during the game, AEPi’s opposing team was subjected to behavior that violated our community principles of inclusivity, openness, and respect.

The university has undertaken a full investigation of the incident in accordance with our Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy. In addition, the Division of Campus Life is reaching out to the students who were targets of the alleged bias, and we are working with the fraternity’s leadership and witnesses to identify the individuals responsible.

Incidents like this are a reminder that each of us is vulnerable to the nefarious acts of a few. Whether these acts are sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, or anti-Semitic, we cannot and will not tolerate harassment of any individual or group. We share the indignation and disappointment already conveyed by many members of the university community. Such expressions of bias are offenses against both the intended victims and our entire university family.

Sincerely,

Ajay Nair Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life

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