Noose found hanging on K-State campus

Police at Kansas State University are investigating after a noose was found hanging from a tree Friday in front of King Hall on the Manhattan campus.

The noose, a racist symbol connected to the lynching of black Americans, was immediately removed.

University President Richard Myers called the act “intolerable” in a message Monday morning to the campus.

“While we do not know the intent of the person who placed the noose, the effect on the K-State campus was immediate,” Myers wrote. The noose hung from a London planetree, a specimen of tree that is labeled and included in K-State’s campus tree walk.

While the noose was quickly taken down, Myers said, it was “not before it was seen by many on campus, including families visiting for Junior Day. It is a poor reflection on our campus community when a well-known symbol for hatred shows up in such a public way.”

The noose was reported to the K-State Office of Institutional Equity and then to campus police. A call to K-State police about the investigation was not returned Monday afternoon.

In a K-State memo, police asked that anyone with information call 785-532-6412 or email police@k-state.edu.

Myers, in his note, urged anyone who is not familiar with the implications of the noose as a symbol of racism and hate to learn about it.

“It falls on all of us to teach each other,” he wrote. “If you don’t understand, please reach out to one of our African-American students, faculty or staff to ask why this act is intolerable.

“... Hopefully as we contemplate these disgusting acts and the impact they have on our family, we’ll grow stronger in our commitment to treating all the K-State family with dignity and respect.”

This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Noose found hanging on K-State campus."