UPDATE: The Sun‘s article apparently misquoted the administration, erroneously claimed that the college had issued no response, and misattributed blame liberally. Here is the U of C’s response:
Mary Mitchell’s June 13 Chicago Sun-Times column, ‘U. of C. frat’s racist prank not funny,’ failed to include a response from the University of Chicago, which we provided before her deadline. The column and its headline are misleading, especially in the unsupported claim that University of Chicago students carried out this extremely offensive act, and the false implication that the University did not respond…
The United States Postal Inspection Service contacted the University on May 31, 2013 about a delivery of offensive packages to the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. The University of Chicago Police Department cooperated fully with the federal investigation; the Chicago Police Department and the University’s Office of Campus and Student Life also were notified.
I sought a meeting with members of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity; the students indicated that they did not know who had sent the packages, and we had no evidence pointing to individuals who might be responsible…
The University of Chicago considers this a grave and deplorable incident that offends our community’s core values. Our institution has responded on many levels, including full cooperation with federal authorities in their investigation. We will continue to engage our students in education on diversity issues more broadly, and on why incidents such as this one are unacceptable…
The U.S. Postal carrier in this case, Mr. Iran Becton, was the victim of a hateful act. Whether or not one of our students was responsible, we will raise awareness in our community that this sort of disrespect goes against everything we stand for. Teaching that is not limited to one incident—it’s an ongoing responsibility.
In today’s “hideously ignorant frat boys commit deranged act” news, the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at the University of Chicago recently made a U.S. Postal carrier lug 79 boxes to their door that were marked with racist and homophobic names. Is this the sort of thing that the young minds of America are getting into? If so, let me just say once and for all that I give up. We are a nation of little pigs.
According to Iran Becton, the postal carrier:
“About a week after Memorial Day, I had an order to bring 79 of the boxes. I came to the address and explained to the frat member that I would have a lot more supplies. I went back to the truck for the boxes about six or seven times.”
After Becton finished his final trip, one of the frat guys informed him that it was all just a practical joke. Another of the frat members added that Becton should read the name on each package backwards, and then he would “get the joke” himself.