University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, November 14, 2024
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PRIDE AND PROGRESS
BUCKY BATTLES BANANA
UW-Madison ‘Pride and Prejudice’ breathes new life, feminism into an Austen classic.
Wisconsin Badgers face Maine Black Bears in NCAA soccer tournament.
+ OPINION, PAGE 8
+ SPORTS, PAGE 7
UW-Madison students receive racist text messages as part of nationwide incident By Drew Wesson STAFF WRITER
Black University of WisconsinMadison students received racist text messages as part of a nationwide wave of text messages sent over the few days following the election, UWPD reported Friday. The messages contained references to slavery and were “unsolicited, harassing and racist in nature.” UWPD said in an email to The
Daily Cardinal that it was aware of the nationwide issue and that some UW-Madison students were recipients of the text messages, but there were no official reports to the department. Messages containing mentions of slavery have been reported in other Wisconsin cities, including Milwaukee. In one instance, these texts were sent to a 12-year-old. The FBI and Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
are investigating at this time. UWPD said there is no information to suggest the threats are credible. “We are committed to the safety of the UW–Madison campus and community, and we take all reports seriously,” UWPD said in a statement on Nov. 8. These texts come as hate crimes rise following election season. The current political climate is “rife with opportunities for the trend of increased hate to continue,” according to an April
2023 report from The Leadership Conference Education Fund, a national civil rights group. Increased white supremacy plays a significant role in driving this trend. Students may fill out a Harassment, Discrimination & Bias report to receive support from the Office of Student Assistance and Support. Students also can contact UWPD at (608) 264-2677. If it is an emergency, call 911.
Letter to campus administration criticizes City approves police, adult reassignment of GSCC director
services budget amendments
By Ella Gorodetzky NEWS MANAGER EMERITUS
Hundreds of University of Wisconsin-Madison campus community members signed an open letter of concern to Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin over the removal of Warren Scherer (per/pers) as director of the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center. Scherer served as director of the GSCC from January 2018 to October 2024, when Associate Vice Chancellor Fernie Rodriguez reassigned Scherer. Scherer’s reassignment, which occurred during LGBTQ History Month, hit the student community hard, the letter said. The letter describes a sense of belonging and acceptance that Scherer brought to the GSCC, saying, “Students sought Warren out for deep mentorship and guidance.” The letter outlines a lack of confidence in Rodriguez and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Lori Reesor’s support of LGBTQ+ and QTBIPOC students. “Warren’s sudden removal, without even an opportunity to say goodbye, exemplifies the Student Affairs administration’s disregard for the well-being of marginalized people, particularly QTBIPOC students and employees,” the letter said. Reesor reaffirmed Rodriguez’s decision-making in a statement to The Daily Cardinal and expressed commitment to maintaining an inclusive campus environment for LGBTQ+ students. Reesor declined to comment on specific personnel matters, citing confidentiality. Associated Students of Madison Equity and Inclusion Chair Camren Livermore told the Cardinal Scherer is an important role model for the student community. “Warren was a mentor for a lot of students, provided a lot of advocacy and guidance and, in my personal opinion, was just absolutely amazing at what per did,” Livermore said. Livermore signed the letter in an attempt to raise awareness of the situation and demand more transparency from university student affairs leadership.
By Joseph Panzer SENIOR STAFF WRITER
JAKE PIPER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
“I think the letter was absolutely crucial in showing administration and student affairs that this is not something that we’re going to let slide,” Livermore said. “It’s our way of saying that this is important and we have concerns.” The letter said Scherer’s reassignment could affect the future of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at UW-Madison, referencing the December 2023 legislative decision to cap funding for university DEI positions. Livermore worries that the university will be unable to fill the position permanently. “The GSCC is at an extreme disadvantage to be able to continue functioning in the capacity that it has been for the past several years,” Livermore said. “It’s very concerning to us as student leaders, as a student community in general, that our student affairs leadership is not actually taking into consideration what is best for students.” The letter labels Scherer’s dismissal
as “part of a system of anti-queer and racist decision-making perpetuated by Vice Chancellor Reesor that must be immediately addressed and stopped by UW leadership.” A similar situation occurred in 2023 with the reassignment of Gabe Javier, former UW-Madison associate vice chancellor for identity and inclusion, according to the letter. Livermore said Reesor and Rodriguez did not provide any reasoning to the campus community for the decision to dismiss Scherer. “We do know that Warren did not break any policy or do anything wrong, so it’s very unclear at this point why the reassignment occurred,” Livermore said. Livermore said they hope for more support for the GSCC in the absence of Scherer. “As an ASM leader, I have been in communication with them,” Livermore said. “I want to create this space of sort of mutual aid, where we can learn how to support the GSCC during this time.”
The Madison Common Council approved Amendments Five and Four of the 2025 operating budget relating to police oversight and older adult services respectively and an additional traffic engineering amendment Tuesday during the first of multiple budget deliberation meetings. The 2025 Executive Operating Budget, introduced by Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway in October and adopted unanimously by the Common Council Tuesday, is partially funded by a $22 million property tax referendum approved by Madison residents on Nov. 5. The final budget must be approved by the council by Nov 14. The council passed 15-5 an amendment restoring $127,210 in funding to the Office of the Independent Monitor (OIM) for employee salaries and legal services. Accountability for firing members of the Madison Police Department who engage in misconduct is through a state appointed board, which led the city to create theOIM in 2020 to give more power to local citizens. Despite having been around for years, the OIM only started accepting complaints last month. District 8 Ald. MGR Govindarajan told The Daily Cardinal he is “okay” with continued funding to the OIM despite “valid concerns” about its effectiveness. “That being said, I believe the council should take measures to ensure that the OIM is held accountable to specific goals set by the council,” Govindarajan said. The Common Council also approved by a narrow 11-9 vote a reallocation of $103,870 from the Community Development Division to purchased services for the Older Adult Services Request for Proposal (RFP). The Older Adult Services RFP handles case management and outreach and referral programs for seniors in the Madison area. During the meeting, District 17 Ald. Sabrina V. Madison had concerns on the amendment’s impact on seniors from marginalized communities. Continue reading at dailycardinal. com.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”