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September 23, 2015
Items that resembled nooses were discovered on the campus of the University of Delaware, but were determined by police to be lanterns.
Items hanging from trees on the campus of the University of Delaware were paper lanterns, not nooses, and therefore not the product of a hate crime, officials announced Wednesday, while not everyone is satisfied with that explanation.
University officials investigated after a student reported seeing what some thought looked like nooses from a tree in front of the school's Mitchell Hall.
Well, as it turns out, police say those were actually just paper lanterns leftover from an on-campus event.
Yet that doesn't mean the university shouldn't use the opportunity to open up a dialog -- presumably about race relations, considering the deep-rooted symbolism of hatred hanging nooses represent -- acting president Nancy M. Targett said in a statement and Youtube video:
Thanks UD Police for sending an alert when someone in the 5 mile area steals bread but not letting us know there are racists hanging nooses
— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@megblissy) September 23, 2015
THERE ARE NOOSES HANGING ON UD CAMPUS, OKAY .
— Odessa . (@PoeVanGogh) September 23, 2015
I still can't grasp the thought that somebody really put nooses up at UD..this isn't a small matter this is really crazy
— It's Jah-Rod (Jerod) (@InJay_WeTrust) September 23, 2015
UD: They weren't nooses. They were lantern remnants Me: pic.twitter.com/0YmLviFQUN
— Robert Legendowski (@G_Coppo) September 23, 2015
Having a very hard time believing that the nooses at UD were a mistake from lanterns. A message was made clear to Black Students
— JP (@J_Page__) September 23, 2015
I sure hope this twitter story about nooses on UD campus is false. Terrible if true, especially after a Black Lives Matter rally.
— John Gizis (@johngizis) September 23, 2015
Nooses up at UD in the same spot a #BlackLivesMatter rally took place the day prior. Yo @delawareonline, what's good? pic.twitter.com/dViXoKw668
— Mike Hinson (@HinsonMike) September 23, 2015
In order to alleviate the tension, Targett will meet with students to discuss the incident on campus at 4:30 p.m.
Update: @UDelPolice determine incident was not a hate crime. Please stand with me on the Green @ 4:30PM #VoicesOfUDel http://t.co/ob7S5NUnPI
— Nancy Targett (@NancyMTargett) September 23, 2015