Dear USF community,
The safety and well-being of every member of the university community is our highest priority. Today I want to share an update on our investigation into an incident that occurred in a parking garage on our Tampa campus earlier this week and was posted as a video on social media.
The USF Police Department has identified two people in the video who disrupted a group of Muslim students who were participating in a prayer service. This afternoon, officers filed criminal charges with the State Attorney’s Office against both of them. The individuals are not affiliated with USF, and we will issue trespass orders to prevent them from returning to campus. Detectives are still trying to identify a third person in the video. This is an ongoing investigation, which limits some of what can be shared at this time, but additional information about the investigation is available here.
After becoming aware of the situation, detectives and our staff in Student Success have been in contact with students who were involved to learn more about what took place and ensure they know about the support resources available through the university. We will continue to work closely with the students to identify a suitable location for future activities on campus.
In an abundance of caution, we will maintain an increased police presence around campus and at events in the coming days. All students, regardless of their religious affiliation, should feel safe praying on our campuses.
USF does not tolerate harassment or discrimination. Our policy explicitly prohibits Islamophobia, antisemitism and all other instances of hateful conduct targeting individuals because of their religion, shared ancestry or cultural heritage.
The university values the right to free speech, expression and the open exchange of ideas, even if we strongly disagree or find some of what is said to be offensive. However, we will not allow violent or disruptive acts that do not comply with USF policy or the law.
We urge everyone to continue to do their part to ensure that we are a community that treats each other with respect, and we provide a safe environment for individuals of all backgrounds. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to upholding our shared values.
Sincerely,
Rhea F. Law
President