Statement on Damage to Bay Atlantic University's Campus Property Amid Unrest in D.C.

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, Dr. Sinem Vatanartiran, president of Bay Atlantic University, issued a statement after the university's Washington, D.C. campus sustained damage on the night of Saturday, May 30, 2020. The campus building, located just a block from the White House, was left with several broken windows and graffiti on its facade. Her statement follows:

"Bay Atlantic University is an international school with the mission to connect the world to the local DC community. Speaking for myself and BAU, we are horrified at the events surrounding the death of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis Police Department officer. Frustrations have understandably and justifiably boiled over, and people across our country, as well as in the District of Columbia are lifting their voices to government at every level to demand accountability, improvement, and justice. To all the victims, protestors, supporters, and allies: I see you. Our school sees you. And we support all of you.

"During this time, the right to protest and speak freely has never been more important. We support the right of an aggrieved and often unheard community to speak out, and accept that the small minority who may cause damage does not detract from the greater and more meaningful whole; only by listening and empathizing with the people on the streets will we be able to forge long-lasting solutions and begin to heal.

"In the past few months, BAU has been preparing a series of ambitious programs designed to better integrate our school with the local community. When it is more appropriate, I look forward to sharing details about our plans with you. The destruction of a few windows and some graffiti is of little concern to my organization because windows and property can be rebuilt. What matters most is that we rise above the terrible injustice in Minneapolis that has highlighted issues in nearly every community across this country, and work by, for, and with the residents of the District to build a better, more just world.

"For now, I will close with the following. The love and dedication I have for education and the D.C. community have only been strengthened during this time of great challenge and crisis. As the President of BAU, I want to connect with anyone seeking to further the conversation about what actions we will take for meaningful progress for the District of Columbia.

"I look forward to having these conversations and showing D.C. – with words as well as deeds – BAU's commitment to the community."

SOURCE Bay Atlantic University