The University of Maryland announced an action plan to fight hate crime on campus following the stabbing death of a black Bowie University student, according to university president Wallace Loh.
Richard Collins III was fatally stabbed at a bus stop early Saturday morning while waiting for a ride with friends.
Sean Urbanski, a 22-year-old white College Park student was arrested and charged with the murder. The FBI is investigating the stabbing as a possible hate crime due to Urbanksi’s affiliation with a Facebook group called “Alt-Reich,” which posts racist material.
Loh said in addition to the law enforcement investigation, the university must also “act to combat hate and create a safer campus.”
Effective immediately, some of the actions include:
- Creating a rapid-response team for any hate-bias incident.
- Allocating $100,000 in supplemental funds for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to support education efforts.
- Establishing a task force on hate-bias and campus safety -- comprised of faculty, staff, students, and alumni -- to conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant university policies and procedures.
Loh noted a moment of silence on campus Wednesday honoring Collins and acknowledged that, “these are fraught times, on our campus, across the nation, and the world.”
“United by this tragedy, we can be a force for good,” Loh said.
