LINCOLN, Ill. (WAND) - Lincoln College President David Gerlach has issued an official statement regarding what he called "appalling" acts, both on campus and online.
According to his statement, people were driving throughout campus while displaying the Confederate flag. There are also reports of people shouting insults and threats.
According to Gerlach, there were "negative and racially-charged portrayals of Lincoln College students" made on Facebook, as well as threats of violence and comments that included "generally implicit racism."
"This behavior would be appalling in any community, but it is incomprehensible how anyone living in a city named for Abraham Lincoln could display flags that pay tribute to those who tried to destroy our nation," President Gerlach said.
Lincoln College is a large contributor to the annual economic impact throughout Lincoln and Logan County. Annually, the school brings in roughly around $53 million to benefit all of the community's businesses and residents.
"I know that the social media comments represent just a tiny handful of individuals and are not representative of the overall Lincoln community," Gerlach said. "Unfortunately, for students who are young and living away from home for the first time in their lives, a few comments can feel as though the entire community is against them and wants them to feel unwelcome."
To read the full statement by President Gerlach, click here.
