Update on Yesterday’s Campus Event
April 10, 2025
Dear all,
Yesterday, Vassar sponsored a speaker panel on Islamophobia and Antisemitism, which was open to the public and the Vassar community. The event was intended to foster a thoughtful and open conversation on the complex intersections of hate, speech, and identity. The panel was a part of the Engaged Pluralism Spring Series and focused on the use of dialogue as a tool to be introspective about one’s own position. The Engaged Pluralism team asked participants to listen to viewpoints that may be different from their own, and to be open to changing one’s assumptions about an issue because of the conversation.
During the event, an attendee unaffiliated with Vassar interrupted the moderated discussion to read a prepared statement that included Islamophobic, Anti-Muslim sentiments. The attendee’s conduct was hateful, intimidating, and antithetical both to our values of inclusion and respectful debate and to the spirit of the event. The event organizers briefly paused the event while Campus Safety promptly escorted the visitor out of the event and off campus. Several other minor disruptions occurred, which were managed by Vassar administrators and staff, and the panel continued.
Hate has no place in our community. Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination have no home at Vassar. We reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a campus environment where all individuals feel safe, respected, and heard—and where difficult conversations can take place with integrity, care, and intellectual curiosity. I am proud of the Vassar community, who continued the event and showed deep respect for different perspectives, even in the wake of the disruptions. Thank you to all who made the event possible and modeled the practices of authentic dialogue and deep listening. We need these practices now more than ever, and I am thankful to our panelists and moderator for helping our community think more critically about these important topics.
As a reminder, Vassar community members are encouraged to report any instances of social identity harm using this form. If students are in need of support resources or accommodations, please refer to the Dean of College Wellness Resources for assistance. Please let me know if you have any questions, and we continue to seek to include all voices in important conversations about our collective present and future.
Elizabeth H. Bradley, President
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
@EHBVassar