CLAYTON, MO — About half a dozen Clayton Police cars trailed 10 Washington University Students as they were forced to walk three blocks back to a local IHOP earlier this month, the Post-Dispatch reports. Despite having receipts, police had accused the incoming freshmen of leaving the diner without paying.
Upon returning, however, the manager told police the students weren’t the customers who had skipped out on their bill. They didn’t even resemble the culprits, except for one fact: they were black.
(UPDATE: Clayton Officials Apologize For Alleged IHOP Racial Profiling)
The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. on July 8. It’s the latest in a string of alleged racial profiling incidents in St. Louis in recent months. Back in May, three black teens were falsely accused of shoplifting as they browsed for prom clothes at a Brentwood Nordstrom Rack. Just days later, a Schnucks employee refused to sell a money order to an African American couple because, he said, “people like you do fraud.”
Rob Wild, the university’s associate vice chancellor for student transition and engagement, said the incident was “extremely disappointing” in an email to students last week, calling it “a humiliating experience” for the students involved.
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The 10 students were on campus for a summer prep program for first-generation college students or those from high schools with limited resources, according to the Post-Dispatch.
“They were recruited from all over the United States and, as high-school students, worked tremendously hard with an eye toward attending an institution like ours,” vice chancellor for public affairs Jill Friedman told the paper.
“We are deeply concerned and disappointed that anyone — certainly any of our students — would experience what transpired,” Friedman continued. “The fact that these 10 students, all of whom are African American, were scared and humiliated is unacceptable to us. We have shared that sentiment directly with the City of Clayton and have had an opportunity to meet with city leaders to reiterate our concerns. Conversations continue and we are hopeful that our students will hear directly from the City of Clayton with both an explanation and an apology.”
Clayton Police Chief Kevin Murphy said an internal review is being conducted. He met with university administrators last week and also plans to meet with the students.
As for an apology, Murphy said he was sorry the students were inconvenienced, but that his officers were “duty bound” to respond to the crime that had been reported.
Read more from the Post-Dispatch.
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