Denison officials dismissed classes a day after a campuswide "timeout" to discuss racial tensions, according to published reports. Denison students are gathering to continue the debate about racial tensions that were further fueled by today's incident.

"This and similar acts which are designed to threaten, intimidate or harass any member of our community cannot and will not be tolerated," President Dale Knobel said in a statement.

The student, LaForce Baker, who lives in Shorney Hall, said he didn't mention what happened at first because he wanted the forum to be about race issues, not the swastika.

Some students have said the poster was indicative of commonplace racial slurs and phrases demeaning to homosexuals, and urged the university to put greater emphasis on diversity as part of freshman orientation. Black students comprise fewer than 7 percent of student enrollment.ABJ

With the recent upheaval of racial incidents that took place in Jena, La. that involved the sinister use of hangman's nooses to send intimidating messages, today's incident at a small liberal arts college like Denison in Ohio is lingering proof that racism in American is not only alive and well, but not relegated to Southern States.  

John Michael Spinelli is a former Ohio Statehouse government and political reporter and business columnist. He now serves as the OhioNews Bureau Chief for ePluribus Media Journal.
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