MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The President of Maryville College said that the school will work on inclusivity after a Black graduate visiting campus said he was racially profiled by security.
Ransford Sarfo said he arrived at the campus on July 9 and started having car trouble. While the car was stuck, he said White security officers drove up and said they told him he had to leave.
"He tells me, 'you got to get out of here,'" Sarfo said. "It's disheartening, it's heavily disheartening. When I was going to the campus, I referred to it as home."
The next day, he reported the incident to staff members. He then received several emails with apologies. Dr. Bryan Coker, the president of Maryville College, said he sent a personal apology.
"We emphasized our very strong commitment to addressing the incident," said Coker.
The investigation ended on July 26. Sarfo said that he was worried it took weeks to investigate. He also said that he had to make several phone calls before the college took action.
"I'm concerned about the way the college handled it, the timeline that it took for this to happen," he said.
There are strategies campus leaders can use in the future to be more inclusive, according to a nonprofit that works to help Black-owned businesses grow in Knoxville.
"First, they have to role-model," said Angelique Adams who works with 100 Knoxville. "Show the behavior of talking about things that have been humiliating to them throughout their lives."
Coker said the college will continue working on improving inclusivity each day. Earlier this week, the college also sent an email to students with an update about the incident. It said the director of campus safety and security is no longer employed with the college. The school will also hold harassment prevention training over the fall.