The University of South Alabama is investigating an anti-Semitic message that was faxed to offices on the Mobile campus this week, prompting a swift response from university leadership and a review by campus police.
University President Tony Waldrop confirmed the incident in a message sent to the campus community, saying the hateful fax had circulated well beyond South Alabama. According to Waldrop, the same message appears to have been sent to other universities and organizations around the country over the past several years, and it did not single out the University of South Alabama specifically.
“Messages such as these have no place in our University community, and are in opposition to everything the University of South Alabama stands for,” Waldrop wrote, adding that the university would not tolerate bigotry directed at any group connected to the campus.
Waldrop framed the incident as a moment for the university to reaffirm its values rather than be defined by an outside act of hate. “This incident reminds us to stand united, as a community, to support and respect one another,” he said. “Our mutual respect and support for each other is the best defense against these kinds of despicable actions.”
University of South Alabama police have been notified and are looking into the fax’s origin, according to Waldrop. Investigators are expected to examine where the transmission came from and whether it is connected to similar messages reportedly sent to other institutions in recent years.
Bias-motivated incidents involving faxed or mailed hate mail have periodically targeted college campuses, houses of worship and civic organizations nationwide, often forwarded from unidentified senders using untraceable numbers or third-party services. Campus safety officials say such cases can be difficult to trace to a single source, particularly when the same material has been recirculated for years.
The University of South Alabama, a public research university with more than 14,000 students, has faced isolated incidents of hate-related messaging in the past and has generally responded by emphasizing campus-wide messaging on inclusion and by referring cases to law enforcement for investigation.
University officials did not indicate whether any specific department or individual was targeted by the fax, and no further details about its contents were released publicly. Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to contact University of South Alabama police.
The university’s response reflects a broader effort by administrators to reassure students, faculty and staff following the incident, with Waldrop’s message aimed at underscoring the institution’s commitment to a welcoming campus environment for people of all backgrounds and faiths.