Simon’s Rock classes canceled after student assaulted on campus

Great Barrington – Following the assault of a student of color on the Simon’s Rock campus Friday (September 27) and the appearance of anti-Semitic graffiti and racist slurs written on the walls of campus buildings, regular classes have been canceled for this week, students and faculty were informed through an email from the college’s Senior Leadership Team.

“In response to the intensity of last week’s events and the impact on campus, especially for our Black students, faculty and staff, we have worked with the BSU (Black Student Union) and faculty to cancel classes for the week,” read an email to students from the seven members of the college’s leadership team. “All faculty will be available at the times of their scheduled classes and office hours all week.”

In an email Saturday (September 28) Acting Provost Dimitri Papadimitiou informed the Simon’s Rock community that on Friday “a student of color was physically assaulted on the Simon’s Rock campus by an as yet unidentified assailant. The assault occurred in the woods near the Interpretive Trail, a path that loops through the campus. The student was hospitalized, treated, and released, and then returned to campus. The assailant has not as yet been identified.

As a result of the attack, Ken Geremia, director of Campus Safety and Emergency Planning, informed Simon’s Rock students and parents that security had been supplemented with “additional officers from the Great Barrington Police Department and from the main Bard campus.” To read the initial report from the office of District Attorney Andrea Harrington, click here.

“Addressing the harm caused by this assault and the hate speech that preceded it will be an ongoing focus,” Papadimitiou stated. “At this moment, and for the days to come, we have put into place additional resources and procedures to ensure greater safety and support. Bard College at Simon’s Rock is committed to maintaining inclusive learning environments in which hostile actions and violence will not be tolerated.”