NEW LONDON, Conn. (WTNH) — Police say one man is behind several racially motivated incidents on Connecticut College’s campus over the past week.
According to officials, the person who wrote racial slurs on bathroom walls and may be responsible for other incidents could be an outsider.
“There’s a suspicious person that was on the campus on the 24th who made some derogatory comments to one of the employees on campus,” said Peter Reichard, New London’s Acting Police Chief.
Harassing voicemails were also left for staff.RELATED STORY:Connecticut College cancels classes due to racist graffiti
New London police and campus security are keeping an eye out for the suspect, described as a white man in his 50’s. He is either bald or has short cropped hair, and was wearing sweatpants and flip flops, carrying his shoes. He was seen walking a black Labrador Retriever with a red harness.
The possible outsider is causing concern on a campus where racial tensions have already risen.
“The comments during the forum are absolutely right that this, you know, whether this is a person on our campus or off our campus, that this is an issue that is prevalent on our campus regardless of the perpetrator,” said senior Sam Siegel-Wallace. “It is something that we have to fight on our campus regardless of who it is.”
“At this time we don’t have surveillance video of him, so we’re asking everybody, if they have their cell phone cameras, if they see the gentleman, snap some cell phone camera pictures or video of him so we’ll have some evidence and know who he is,” said Reichard.
Some students say they will be a lot more at ease once police know who that man is.