TORONTO--Students across Ontario expressed their concern at the recent racist vandalism that has occurred at York University this week. The racist slurs directly targeted black students on that campus. The door of the York University Black Students' Alliance (YUBSA) and the men's bathroom adjacent to it were defaced with racist slurs such as "All Niggers must die."

"Every student deserves respect and a safe learning environment," said Jen Hassum Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario. "These statements not only tell black students on campus that they are not welcome, but it sends the message that some students are more valued than others-an idea which students fully reject."

This incident, the second of its kind this month, follows a string of attacks on campus including three sexual assaults and a recent assault of a Student Centre employee.

Students across Ontario are demanding that the York administration stop dragging its feet on a campus-wide safety audit, which students have been calling for since October 2007. Strong consensus has been reached by York students to have safety audit-pioneers METRAC, conduct the study. At this point, the University has made no formal commitment to seek a safety audit from METRAC or any other organisation for at least another 2 to 3 months.

"University administrators' approach has been to cross their fingers and hope these problems would go away," said Gilary Massa, Vice-President Equity for the York Federation of Students and Constituency Commissioner for the Canadian Federation of Students. "The administration must open its eyes to the direct threats that York students and staff are facing, and start taking seriously recommendations being put to them by students' organisations like the YFS and YUBSA."

Last year, the Federation issued a report on the needs of Muslim students, which was released in the wake of a proliferation of racist threats against Muslim students on Ontario campuses. The report contained recommendations that address issues ranging from combating racism on campuses to improving reporting structures for students who have been subjected to discriminatory or violent treatment. "Since, the release of the Task Force report there has been a higher level awareness and dialog about campus safety and inclusively, and a refusal on the part of students to accept anything less then full protection of their basic human rights," said Hassum.