All of Ohio State’s deans released a statement in support of University President Kristina M. Johnson’s stance that re-envisioning public safety is not as simple as increasing police presence or cutting ties with the Columbus Division of Police. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
All of Ohio State’s deans released a statement affirming their commitment to improving public safety and policing in the campus community Tuesday.
According to the statement, all deans at Ohio State’s main and regional campuses are committed to being “agents of change” as defined by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion — which emphasizes the social, economic and moral obligation for the university to improve and transform policing.
“As deans of all the Ohio State colleges and campuses, we commit to remaining engaged in difficult conversations about embedded racial inequities,” the deans stated.
According to the statement, approaching matters of public safety requires addressing historically racist social systems, structures and relationships.
The deans’ statement follows President Johnson’s universitywide email addressing campus safety concerns April 27 and responses from the Department of History, student leaders and the Black Law Student Association over the past 21 days.
Following Johnson’s email, the President and Vice President of Undergraduate Student Government Jacob Chang and Anna Valerius, respectively, President of the Ohio Union Activities Board Emily Montenegro and President of BuckeyeThon Ben Smith released a signed statement condemning Ohio State’s relationship with CPD and university leaders’ lack of response to students’ calls to cut ties with the department.
We, USG, OUAB, and leaders of three of the largest undergraduate student organizations on campus stand in solidarity to firmly condemn CPD, the University’s ties with CPD, and the complacency of our university leaders in not addressing students’ calls to cut ties with CPD. pic.twitter.com/JDlLbykN0c
— Ohio State USG (@usgosu) April 27, 2021
Chang, a fourth-year in political science, declined to comment on the deans’ statement, but reiterated USG’s demands in its April 27 statement with other student leaders. In addition to cutting ties with the CPD, the statement included other demands of the university, such as reducing the Ohio State Police Department’s budget and reallocating funds to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Student Life Multicultural Center, Counseling and Consultation Services and the Wellness Center.
Montenegro, a fourth-year in women’s, gender and sexuality studies, said in an email she supports the student leaders’ concerns and action items in the April 27 statement and looks forward to discussing items that were absent in the deans’ statement, such as CPD and the police shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, with the university.
“We, as students, await the opportunity to continue these conversations in greater detail,” Montenegro said.
The Department of History also sent a call to action to Johnson and other administrators demanding resources and reform to policing practices. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee within the department created the list of demands and the rest of the department approved it May 5. Johnson received the letter Friday, Margaret Newell, a member of the committee and professor of history, said.
The committee said in an email they appreciate the deans’ agreement about the urgency of the issue, but “would like to see a commitment to concrete, tangible actions.”
“In our May 6th statement we asked President Johnson to meet with student leaders, to initiate a data-driven assessment of crime and policing on and near campus, and to join city government in asking for a Justice Department review of the Columbus Police Department,” the committee said. “We believe President Johnson should use Ohio State University’s intellectual prestige and research talent to help solve the problem of police violence in Columbus, a city with a high rate of police shootings of African Americans. We owe it to students, faculty, staff and Columbus citizens to respond forcefully to these issues.”
The Black Law Student Association held a sit-in protest at the Moritz College of Law outside Dean Lincoln Davies’ office in Drinko Hall May 7 protesting the university’s relationship with CPD. Students demanded Davies take a stance on police brutality on behalf of the law school community, according to the event flyer.
Taylor McGlashan, president of the Black Law Student Association and a third-year in law, declined to comment on the deans’ statement.
