A controversial epithet on the cannon was painted over by Tufts Facilities yesterday afternoon after at least two students called the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) to complain. The message read "Don't ideologically molest my kids with your rainbow propaganda." It was painted by senior Mark Sutherland, the same student who was investigated for tearing down a banner outside the sit-in at Bendetson Hall this fall, according to Admissions Office Coordinator Doug Burns. Burns said he saw Sutherland painting the beginning of the message between 12:30 and 1 p.m. yesterday.
TUPD responded to an anonymous complaint about the message on the cannon and arrived at the academic quad just after 1 p.m., according to TUPD Sergeant Doug Mazzola. The scene was cleared and a maintenance worker from One Source was called to paint over the offensive message.
Senior Natalee Holt also saw Sutherland painting the message and, after conferring with other students, called TUPD to complain about the sentence and to file a charge of vandalism because she did not think Sutherland was a Tufts student.
"I wasn't really sure where the lines of free speech were for that... I couldn't really tell whether what he was doing was wrong or not. Later I decided what he was doing was wrong," she said.
The University's decision to paint over the message on the cannon raised concerns over free speech rights, since the cannon is a traditional publicity tool for students. Holt, who did not initially think Sutherland was affiliated with the University, did say that his status as a student leads to more of a "gray area" concerning whether the sentence should have been covered.
It is unclear who gave the order to have the sentence painted over, Mazzola said.
There is no clear policy concerning this type of situation on campus. "There's no protocol per say, but if there's a complaint, we'll take action, i.e. cover it up," Mazzola said.
Many other students who either saw or heard about the incident felt no hesitance in destroying Sutherland's deed.
"In the interest of the University, just as he has the right to write something, TUPD also has the right to write something and cover it up," said Mike Lambert, co-coordinator of Tufts Transgendered, Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Collective, who advised Holt to call TUPD. "They obviously see a compelling interest in keeping hate messages off the campus and I happen to agree with it," he said.
