E-mails sent to a Union College student in the last few weeks brought back painful memories of an era commonly thought to be firmly in the past. Junior Aldumen Gomez received messages threatening his life, insulting his heritage, ridiculing him for losing an election, and making allusions to a return to “the separate but equal thing.” The messages were signed Karl Kinsey Keller, a reference to the Ku Klux Klan.
The incidents have brought a storm of anger within the campus. While some are critical of the administration and its response to the issue, the general sentiment is one of simple outrage, sparking a rally Friday afternoon that was attended by about 300 students and community members.
Gomez and a friend have withdrawn from the school, saying that they no longer feel safe. They plan to continue their education elsewhere.
