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UPDATED: May 2, 2023 at 4:40 p.m.

The Haudenosaunee and LGBTQ flags flown outside of Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel on the Shaw Quadrangle were reportedly stolen, the Department of Public Safety stated in a Monday evening bias incident report.

A university employee reported the theft Monday and later met with a DPS officer, according to the incident report. When the officer responded to the incident, the report states they discovered the flags’ rope tethering had been cut.

SU Facilities Services has since replaced the flags and upgraded the flag tethering to prevent future theft, the report reads.

Craig Stone, SU’s associate vice president and chief of campus safety and emergency management services, said in the communication that DPS is actively reviewing security camera footage in an effort to identify the individual or individuals responsible for taking the flags.

“While we do not yet know the intent of the perpetrators, their actions undermine our community’s commitment to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive campus. Syracuse University proudly displays, and will continue to display, these flags as a physical representation of our diverse community,” Stone said in the bias incident report.

Members of the SU community with information about the incident can contact DPS at 315-443-2224 or anonymously via DPS’ Silent Witness tool or the Orange Safe app.

UPDATE:
In a May 2 email, DPS said it successfully retrieved the Haudenosaunee and LGBTQ+ flags that were reported stolen from outside of Hendricks Chapel on March 27. DPS wrote that a “non-affiliate” returned the two flags, along with two SU banners they also stole. In the email, DPS did not detail if the person was charged with any crime.

Published on March 27, 2023 at 10:38 pm

Contact Dominic: dcchiapp@syr.edu | @DominicChiappo2