There’s major controversy at a Connecticut school after students at Fairfield University held a “Ghetto Party” at an off-campus location over the weekend.
News of the party spread via social media after racially insensitive photos were posted online.
The uproar drew a response from the president of the university, who sent an email to students that said the party “perpetuated racial stereotypes that have no place in our community and only serve to offend and devalue people.”
There was also an investigation by school authorities.
“We have not been able to confirm that the party was a themed party and we have no confirmation that there were any students in any type of makeup//It was disappointment. There was a little bit of shock. And then there was immediate action in terms of how can we make this a learning situation?” said university spokesman Teddy Derosa.
The school’s Office of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs is staying open later in the evenings so that students can come in to discuss the incident. And student leaders are planning a forum focusing on what happened.
Fairfield is a Jesuit university in Bridgeport with about 5,100 students – 78 percent of whom are white.
