Penn UMOJA condemns physical assault of Black student, urges 'highest possible' sanctions

UMOJA, a coalition of Black student groups, issued a public statement on Saturday regarding an incident that took place in September when a "Black female student at Penn was violently physically assaulted by a white male student at an off-campus event."

The Nov. 22 statement — which was posted to the group’s Instagram account — described the incident as a “racist, gendered attack” against a member of the Penn community. UMOJA provided a list of demands for the University, including imposing the “highest possible” sanctions on the suspect and offering support resources to the victim.

“As the umbrella organization for Black students at Penn, UMOJA condemns this assault unequivocally,” the statement read. “This violent attack represents a blatant violation of a member of our community’s physical safety and dignity.”

UMOJA declined a request for comment.

As part of its demands for Penn's “immediate, transparent, and substantive action,” UMOJA urged University administrators to expel the suspect in line with the University’s Code of Student Conduct, which “explicitly prohibits acts or threats of physical violence against another person.”

Penn Police first received a report in early September and charged the suspect after an investigation into the incident, according to a source familiar with the matter. The case is making its way through the criminal justice system and has been referred for investigation to Penn's Center for Community Standards and Accountability.

In its statement, UMOJA wrote that Penn’s administration “has suggested that it is difficult to impose specific sanctions without a direct physical attack or threat.”

“Silence, deflection, or bureaucratic delay in moments like this communicates to Black students that their safety is secondary and we refuse to accept this,” the statement continued. 

In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Vice Provost for University Life Hikaru Kozuma wrote that “there is no place for violence or hate in our community — full stop.”

"We investigate any and all incidents vigorously and judiciously according to all local, state, and federal laws as well as our Code of Student Conduct,” Kozuma stated.

UMOJA's statement asked Penn to provide “direct support” for the victim in the form of “academic flexibility, protection against retaliation and support resources to provide culturally competent care, including Makuu: The Black Cultural Center, Penn Violence Prevention, and mental health services.”

The source familiar with the matter wrote that Penn’s Division of Public Safety offered support and other resources to the victim immediately after the incident and in subsequent interactions.

UMOJA also demanded that administrators meet with Black student leaders to create a “clear accountability framework” for handling future incidents of violence. 

"These expectations reflect not only the severity of this incident but also the ongoing fear and vulnerability that Black students experience in the aftermath," UMOJA wrote. "The University cannot claim to value safety while allowing incidents like this to be minimized or mishandled."

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