Dean’s message against anti-Asian discrimination

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Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Dear Gould community,

In recent weeks, we have seen a distressing and disturbing trend in racially motivated acts of discrimination and violence against Asians and Asian Americans nationwide, from New York to our own home state of California. Sadly, this anti-Asian sentiment and reported incidents of bias have been on an upward trend throughout the pandemic.

These reprehensible actions contradict our common values as a community. Discrimination in any form, against any person, is wrong and will always be. Hatred and violence have no place in our school or our society.

At Gould, we are proud to be a law school with local roots and a global reach. We have students from dozens of states across the U.S. and from more than 60 counties around the world. And no matter where we come from, we all belong here. The diversity of our law school enriches the learning and working environment for everyone.

This moment is an opportunity for us to redouble our commitment to being an inclusive, equitable, and just law school. It is also a call to support all members of our community, regardless of their background, and to take care of one another in the face of difficult times. Our togetherness, even as we remain apart, shows the true character and strength of our Trojan Family.

If anyone – student, faculty or staff – needs help or support, please do not hesitate to connect with the available resources at Gould or across the University. There is never a bad time to reach out and ask for help when you need it.

Gould Student Contacts

Dean Yasmine McMorrin, ymcmorrin@law.usc.edu (JD students)
Dean Misa Shimotsu, mshimots@law.usc.edu (G&IP students)

University Resources

For Students: USC Student Health Center (https://studenthealth.usc.edu/)

Counseling and Mental Health Services (https://studenthealth.usc.edu/counseling/)
Students may also speak with a counselor by calling 213-740-9355

For Staff & Faculty: Center for Work and Family Life (213-821-0800; cwfl@usc.edu)

https://employees.usc.edu/work-family-life/

Reporting Resources

Gould students may report any incident of discrimination anonymously via the law school’s anonymous reporting link located on the Law Portal. The link is titled “Reporting & Anonymous Reporting” located in the upper right corner of the home page within the yellow box titled “Comment Forms.”
You may also make a report directly to USC’s Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX) by emailing: eeotix@usc.edu. Information about their reporting process can be found online at: https://eeotix.usc.edu/report/

USC Community Town Hall

USC Asian Pacific American Student Services (APASS), directed by Jonathan Wang, who is a member of Gould's Anti-Racism Working Group, is co-hosting a virtual town hall this Wednesday, February 24, around Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, where participants can process recent events. All USC students, staff, and faculty are welcome to attend the Zoom conversation, which is presented in partnership with Undergraduate Student Government leaders.

Please take care and be well. I hope everyone has a safe rest of the semester.

Sincerely,

Dean Andrew T. Guzman