EXCLUSIVE: Series of racist incidents at Saint Mary's College in Moraga investigated as hate crimes
An East Bay family is demanding action from Saint Mary's College of California after they say their son was the target of escalating incidents on the Moraga campus--incidents now under investigation as hate crimes.
Oakland residents Tia Hunnicutt and James Brickley say they were initially proud to send their son David to Saint Mary's last fall. But by the spring semester, they noticed a troubling shift.
"We noticed that he wanted to come home more often," Brickley said. "He would say, 'Pick me up on Thursday.'"
David, a freshman who asked not to be shown on camera due to fear of retaliation, began texting his parents from his dorm in fear. He told them that other students had been shouting curse words and racial slurs--including the N-word--outside his door. One night, he recorded part of the outburst.
"Let's imagine for a moment that it's your child behind that door, hearing 'kill the N-word,'" Brickley said. "Imagine how he felt--his fear."
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David reported the incident to his resident assistant and campus advisors but says little was done in response.
"I was promised that things were going to change," David said. "And nothing happened."
A few weeks later, tensions within the family grew more intense. David captured an image of the shared bathroom door on his dormitory level where someone had carved the phrase "Kill N-words." In their report, ABC7 News obscured this offensive term in the footage they presented.
David recalled, "I was hurrying to my computer science class when I went to the bathroom. As soon as I glanced up, there it was, clearly visible, written right there in the restroom."
Shortly thereafter, ABC7 News acquired and released a statement from the university cautioning students, staff, and faculty about “a hate crime encompassing property destruction, menacing remarks, and racist graffiti in the bathrooms.” The Moraga police have confirmed that these events are currently being investigated as instances of hate crimes.
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For David's mother, Tia, that marked the turning point.
She mentioned, 'That really was the last straw,' which prompted her to meet with the school’s president.
However, the family mentioned that they were taken aback by what was shared during their meeting with President Roger Thompson from Saint Mary's College of California.
Hunnicutt reported that he mentioned considering relocating David from the school, not only from the dormitory but entirely from the institution. He presented this as a resolution for dealing with a hate crime.
In an official statement, Saint Mary's College addressed the incidents and mentioned they have implemented various measures such as conducting “compulsory residence hall meetings,” “providing resources for student support,” “increasing security patrols,” and “highlighting the importance of utilizing bias response and reporting systems.”
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ABC7 News conveyed the message to David's parents.
Hunnicutt remarked, 'I find that to be a lovely and highly legalistic statement they have created. However, I didn’t hear anything specific about the actions they are actually implementing.'
"Why were we compelled to bring these hate crimes to light through ABC7 News?" Brickley stated.
As a response, a representative from the university explained that the president acknowledged the possibility of students wanting to transfer if their parents agreed with such a decision and provided David the choice to change his accommodation. However, David turned down this offer.
Brickley questioned why those responsible for such crimes weren’t being expelled from school. He emphasized making the environment more secure and joyful for all.
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David mentioned that these events have impacted his psychological well-being.
He mentioned that lately he finds himself spending more time at home indoors." "He explained that this change is due to his feeling of insecurity when on campus.
His parents are urging the university to adopt a strict zero-tolerance stance against racism, require mandatory anti-bias education for all students, and enhance assistance for those who have been victimized.
Regardless of all this, David states he doesn't intend to depart from Saint Mary's.
Nevertheless, his parents claim that officials from the university haven't replied to their emails over multiple weeks now. In response, the institution stated that they had attempted contact through representatives; however, the family shared documentation with ABC7 News indicating their last correspondence from the university was dated April 4th.
So far, nobody has been publicly named, accused, or penalized in relation to these events.
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