Some University of Missouri students want campus hate speech punished

The response by University of Missouri leaders to racial tension that flared up on campus this week was swift and public, but not enough, some students say.

“I was very impressed with how quick the university administration identified the students, how quick they were to acknowledge publicly that a racist act had occurred and to say it wasn’t going to be tolerated,” said Sean Earl, student body president on the Columbia campus.

“The highlight of this new administration is they have been very active, actively listening and providing insight,” Earl said. But, he added, students want more — they want people held accountable for racist behavior.

“There is no disciplinary action attached to racist speech, hate speech; instead it just falls under harassment,” Earl said. “If this university is going to say that discrimination and racist speech is not going to be tolerated, then there needs to be consequence attached to that.”

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