To the Fairfield University Community,

       On behalf of Gamma Lambda Chi, the Fairfield University chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society of professional counseling, we would like to voice our deepest concern about the student-organized party held around a theme that was clearly racist and classist, highly offensive to the Fairfield University Community and deeply hurtful to our fellow students and community members.

       As counselors and counselors-in-training, we know firsthand that actions like these have a profound effect on individuals who are being maligned as a group. We also see how acts such as this, regardless of intent, undermine the sense of safety and support we all should be able to expect from our university community. We also know how painful it can be for people who have caused harm to others to come to terms with their mistakes and acknowledge the damage they have caused.

       To those who are experiencing the effects of this and other events and who are anxious about what it means for their place in the Fairfield University community, we encourage them to reach out to Counseling and Psychological Services on campus, your fellow students in the counseling community and your faculty and friends.

       Many people at Fairfield University are working to create an environment that is more tolerant and more inclusive. We stand with the University leadership in the call to redouble our efforts and we offer the support of the counseling community to serve that purpose.

                                               Sincerely,

                                               David A. Ruth

                                               President

                                               Gamma Lambda Chi

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