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Neo-Nazi fliers raise concern at Penn

President Gutmann said flyers, which have been removed, were circulated by off-campus groups trying to sow fear and discord.

University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann issued a rebuke Monday night against neo-Nazi and racist fliers that appeared around the campus over the weekend.

The fliers included such messages as: "How is  a diploma going to help you in the race war," "Imagine a Muslim free America," and "Stop the blacks."

"These appear to have been circulated by off-campus groups known to be bent on sowing fear and discord, and targeting campuses within our region and nationwide," she and other top administrators said in a email to the Penn community.

"Although the flyers in question are no longer posted, we think it important to take this opportunity to remind the community of our shared conviction that hatred and fear-mongering have no place at Penn," the email said.

"Our University strives to be a place that is safe and welcoming for all students, faculty and staff. Expressing hate or animus for any group of individuals is vile and reprehensible. We underscore our commitment to a supportive, respectful, diverse and open campus, and we encourage the exercise of free expression rights to counter misguided hate with stronger words of truth and mutual respect. We also encourage anyone who is troubled or in need of support to reach out for help."

In November just after the presidential election, black freshmen at Penn were targeted with racist hate messages through a mobile phone messaging app. The attack was traced back to a student at the University of Oklahoma, officials said.