UNCW to apologize to students upset about chalk messages washed away

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A UNCW spokeswoman says the university will apologize to a group of students upset that their political messages written in chalk on campus were washed away hours later.

“We take it seriously when any one of our students is upset, no matter the cause,” UNCW spokeswoman Janine Iamunno said.

Students created the messages Sunday night to raise awareness of the #BlackLivesMatter campaign, but by lunchtime Monday, university crews had washed away the messages. That led some students to wonder if the school was trying to block their statement, but the school says no.

Iamunno said the chalk messages were washed away as part of a campus-wide clean-up ahead of this weekend’s commencement ceremonies. She said  early Monday UNCW Police found fliers on cars on campus with similar messages, which is not allowed, and in cleaning that up, the similarly-themed chalk writing was washed away in what she called an “overeager” attempt to clean up before commencement.

A UNCW Condition Report Summary, which police send to other departments that handle things like maintenance and facility issues, shows that at 6:22 a.m. Monday police reported “graffiti on the sidewalk done in chalk” along Chancellors Walk and noted, “Needs to be wash (sic) off.”

Iamunno says a group of three students upset about the messages being washed away met with university officials today and asked for an apology. She says the university will apologize to the students by scheduling a meeting with them and UNCW leadership to explain what happened. That meeting has not yet been scheduled, Iamunno said.

UNCW’s Code of Student Life permits chalking concrete sidewalks, as long as the messages are not obscene, vulgar or libelous. Iamunno says UPD officers understand chalk messages are allowed. She points out that the report shows the chalking removal wasn’t treated any differently than other items, which included a report of “Vandalism-graffiti” Sunday afternoon and a problem with an elevator phone.

The #BlackLivesMatter campaign stems from several highly-publicized incidents around the country involving the death of black people at the hands of police officers. Late last week six Baltimore police officers were charged in connection with the death of a man in their custody last month.