A cartoon, a mustache, and a witch hunt: The perils of bias reporting at Syracuse University

Halloween has come and gone, but the witch hunt continues at Syracuse University. 

Have you been offended? No need to worry. The university’s ever-vigilant “STOP bias” hotline will track down the culprit. Students can report any perceived transgression — no matter how trivial — with the click of a button. Another click, and the Department of Public Safety will be on it; let a recent incident on campus be your proof! 

On Nov. 10, Syracuse investigated a report that a “Hitler-like mustache” was drawn on, and then erased from, a whiteboard illustration of an “unrelated cartoon character,” along with the words “Nein Nein.” According to an article published by the Daily Orange independent student newspaper, campus safety officers met with the two students who reported the cartoon and referred them to “support resources.” DPS launched an investigation, reviewing security camera footage, interviewing dorm residents, and soliciting information from the public. 

In the end, this approach not only undermines Syracuse’s free speech commitments but also fosters a witch-hunt culture of distrust and fear — an outcome no campus should aspire to promote.

It’s unclear what led the students to make the report, given the Daily Orange also reported that “DPS determined that someone had erased the drawing from the whiteboard before the students discovered it.” (How did they discover a drawing that had been erased?) Nor is it clear how drawing and erasing an image on a whiteboard saying “Nein Nein” would be punishable under Syracuse policy or even motivated by bias or anti-Semitism as opposed to being a distasteful joke. To find answers to these questions, FIRE filed a public records request with the City of Syracuse and the Department of Public Safety to learn more about the documentation.

Syracuse has a poor history of ignoring its promises of free expression. Launching a full-bore investigation into a whiteboard cartoon not only violates the university’s policies but sends a dangerously chilling message about speech on Syracuse’s campus. 

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY

School Ranking

246 of 251

Speech Code

Yellow

Free Speech Climate

Overall score: 17

More Info

Even if DPS catches the “culprit,” Syracuse’s promise of free expression means it is not permitted to punish the mustache-maker. This raises a broader concern: Dedicating significant attention to such minor matters takes away from the university’s ability to address more serious issues. It makes resources less available for investigating instances of truly prohibited, discriminatory harassment that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it undermines and detracts from its victims’ educational experience. (And, of course, actual crimes.) 

While combating bias and hate is a laudable pursuit, it must be done through discourse and norm-building rather than coercion and censorship. Implementing a police-heavy reporting system to chase down offenders is far more likely to result in self-censorship than persuasion. This system makes students learn to weigh every word, every action, every drawing against the possibility of being reported for bias. This is especially destructive when self-censorship is already high, given the political climate following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas. This chilling effect is damaging on college campuses, which should be places where ideas — however controversial — can be freely exchanged and debated. 

And this isn’t an isolated incident. The Department of Public Safety also investigated a “bias incident” from several weeks ago where a student alleged hearing a racial slur from a neighboring building. Two months ago, the Daily Orange reported the Department of Public Safety also intervened in a “bias incident” where a swastika was carved into a soap dispenser.  

In the end, this approach not only undermines Syracuse’s free speech commitments but also fosters a witch-hunt culture of distrust and fear — an outcome no campus should aspire to promote.