Chancellor Mo Dehghani sent the following message to the campus community following the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin.

Dear Campus Community,

The trial of Derek Chauvin reached its conclusion today, with Chauvin found guilty of all charges in the death of George Floyd. The media coverage of this trial has vividly reminded us of the presence of racism, discrimination and violence toward Black people, and of our responsibilities to pursue our ideals of equity and respect toward others. Other recent incidents of violence toward people of color and others also serve as bitter reminders of racism in our society. As a result of these tragic incidents, many members of our campus community are suffering from trauma.

Today, in the wake of this verdict, I write to remind us that racism and bigotry have no place at Missouri S&T. We strive to foster an inclusive, welcoming environment where every member of the S&T community may thrive. Toward that end, I expect all administrators, faculty, staff and students to report any form of discrimination or harassment that they witness. We use, and will continue to use, every resource at our disposal to address instances of discrimination that are reported to us or that we witness personally.

I also want to remind you of our many available resources to address reports of discrimination and harassment as well as to provide support to those who have been discriminated against. These resources include our Office of Equity & Title IX, S&T University Police, our Health and Well-Being resources, our Counseling Services, and our various support centers within the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In addition, the Employee Assistance Program offers free counseling for faculty and staff.

If you have been discriminated against or have witnessed any instance of discrimination, I urge you to report it immediately.

Let us continue to strive toward creating a society in which no one will be subject to any type of discrimination, harassment, mistreatment or violence because of who they are. It is up to each of us to be agents of positive change on our campus and in our communities.

Sincerely,

Mo Dehghani, Chancellor