Preparation for Chauvin Trial Outcome

Dear Members of the Georgetown Community:

As we await the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, we wanted to reach out to acknowledge the pain and anguish that many members of our community, especially Black members of our community, are feeling, and express our solidarity with you. We also want to ensure that you are aware of resources that are available to the entire Georgetown community.

Many incidents of racial injustice over the last year, including the killing of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, Breonna Taylor – and too many others – at the hands of police, have left many of us saddened and with a feeling of hopelessness.

We affirm that Georgetown strives to be an inclusive, welcoming and respectful environment for people of all backgrounds – and acknowledge that we have much work to do as a University community to reach this aspiration. We are committed to maintaining a community that serves each of us in a fair and impartial manner that promotes respect, fairness, equality and inclusiveness. Faculty, if you haven’t already, we encourage you to take advantage of University resources, including the CNDLS toolkit, to support difficult discussions (new window) in the classroom and to work with students who might need space to process recent events.

We recognize the impacts on the physical and mental health that these deeply troubling incidents have had on our community, including on individual students, faculty and staff. As we face the days ahead, let us be mindful of self-care as we urge you to seek help if you need it and take advantage of resources available to you. Students, faculty and staff can find a full range of mental well-being resources on our Every Hoya Cares website (new window). Additional wellness resources for Law students are available on the Law Center’s website (new window).

While the outcome of the Chauvin trial is uncertain, what is certain is our commitment to building a community where all feel supported, seen, safe and welcomed.

Sincerely,

Rosemary E. Kilkenny, J.D.
Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer

Rev. Mark Bosco, S.J., Ph.D.
Vice President for Mission and Ministry

Todd A. Olson, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Mitchell C. Bailin
Associate Vice President and Dean of Students