The signage for Wynn Commons, which is named after former Penn Trustee Steve Wynn, was defaced earlier today.
This comes just days after the Wall Street Journal published an investigative report in which dozens of people described a pattern of sexual misconduct by Wynn. Among other allegations, the 1963 College graduate is said to have forced various employees to perform sex acts for him.
Wynn served on Penn's Board of Trustees until 2004, and in 1995, donated $7.5 million to the University to finish the construction of Perelman Quad. Most, if not all, Penn students will recognize his last name, which is inscribed in boldfaced lettering below the Penn crest in the area just outside Houston Hall.
This morning, streaks of black paint were seen across the word "Wynn" on the structure in the Perelman Quad. Multiple passersby said they saw the results of the defacement around 9:00 a.m. Some also report seeing policemen and campus security personnel around the signage during that time. By 11 a.m., visible efforts had been made to clean up the black paint, but remnants of the defacement could still be seen.
"As this is an on-going investigation, we do not have any additional information to share at this time. We will keep you posted,” Kathleen Shields Anderson, the director of operations and external affairs for the Division of Public Safety, wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Penn has yet to address what actions the University will be taking — if any — in light of the growing allegations against Wynn. Apart from serving as a Penn Trustee, Wynn has been a major donor to the University, and was granted an honorary Doctor of Laws by Penn in 2006.
In an email to the DP last week, University spokesperson Steve MacCarthy wrote, "These are very troubling allegations and we are monitoring the situation closely. But at this point we are unable to comment further."
On Jan. 27, Wynn resigned as the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, a position he was appointed to by the Trump administration. For years, Wynn and President Trump rivaled as major casino mogul billionaires, and while Trump was running for president, Wynn never endorsed his candidacy.
Yet Wynn became an active member of Trump's inauguration committee and has remained an avid supporter as the financial chair of the RNC, a position he held for a full year.
In recent years, as well, the two have appeared friendly, and the Atlantic reported that there are no indications that Trump and Wynn will sever ties in the near future, despite his resignation from his post at the RNC and despite Wynn Resorts' recent announcement of the formation of a committee to investigate the allegations against Wynn.
Wynn denied allegations of sexual misconduct in a written statement to the Wall Street Journal at the time the news first broke.
Staff Reporters James Meadows and Claire Slinely contributed reporting to this article.
This is a developing story that was last updated at 2:24 p.m. If you have any information on the defacement, please reach out to Executive Editor Rebecca Tan at tan@thedp.com.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate