A California student has shared his painful experience at Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga, where he says his freshman year was overshadowed by racist incidents that the school and local police are now investigating as hate crimes.
The student, identified only as David by KGO News, began attending the private Catholic college in the fall of 2023. However, by the spring semester, he became increasingly fearful of his environment. What began as harassment outside his dorm soon escalated to racial slurs, threats, and vandalism.
Racial Harassment and Threats in Dorm
David, who is Black, described how students outside his dorm began shouting racial slurs at him, including the N-word. He even captured one such outburst in a video that was later shared with the media.
“Let’s imagine for a moment that it’s your child behind that door, hearing ‘kill the n-word,’” David’s father, James Brickley, said. “Imagine how he felt — his fear.”
David reported the incidents to resident assistants and campus advisers, but he claims little action was taken. Despite being promised that things would improve, nothing changed.
“I was promised that things were going to change,” David said. “And nothing happened.”
Escalation: Racial Slur Carved Into Bathroom Door
The situation took a darker turn when David went to the communal bathroom on his dorm floor and saw the words “Kill n—s” carved into the bathroom door.
“It was almost surreal for me,” David recalled. “I just looked up, and there it was, clear as day, written in the restroom.”
Following this discovery, another similar racial threat was found in a different bathroom on campus. This prompted the university to issue a campus-wide alert warning about the hate crime involving property damage and threatening racial language.
Investigation by Police and Campus Response
Local Moraga police are now investigating the incidents as hate crimes. However, despite the alerts, David felt increasingly unsafe and spent more time at home rather than on campus.
“I find myself being at home and indoors more and more,” David said. “Because I just don’t feel safe on campus.”
David’s parents, Tia Hunnicutt and James Brickley, arranged a meeting with the university’s president, Roger Thompson, to discuss their concerns. They were shocked by his response.
“He said we should think about moving David out of the school,” Tia Hunnicutt said. “That was his response to a toxic culture — to have David leave and let the toxic culture persist.”
In contrast, a university spokesperson told KGO that President Thompson had offered David the option to move to a different dorm or transfer from the school. David declined both options.
Demand for Zero-Tolerance Policy on Racism
David’s parents are demanding that the college take stronger action against racism. They have requested the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy for racist behavior, along with mandatory anti-bias training for students. They also want better support for victims of racism on campus.
However, the college has not responded to their demands. According to the Jackson family, the last email they received from the university was on April 4, and they haven’t received a reply in weeks.
David’s father, James Brickley, expressed his frustration:
“Why aren’t the perpetrators in these crimes the ones that are kicked out of school? Make it a safer and happier environment for everybody.”
School’s Response and Ongoing Investigation
In a statement from the university, officials said they are taking steps to address the situation. These include:
- Mandatory resident hall meetings
- Increased campus patrols
- More resources for students
- Efforts to raise awareness about bias reporting mechanisms
However, David’s parents feel that these actions are insufficient and do not address the core issue. They argue that the school’s response has been lackluster and that no concrete steps have been taken to address the culture of racism on campus.
At the time of the article’s publication, the school had not yet identified or disciplined the students responsible for the racial slurs and threats. Moraga police have also been unable to make any arrests.