“There have recently been instances of blatant acts of racism and hatred right here in the North Country, and it cannot and will not be tolerated. It is most concerning that one of our very own diversity officers feels threatened and unsafe in her own community and this is quite simply unacceptable. I have personally reached out to her and I have encouraged other officials to reach out to her to express support and encouragement. No individual has the right to use racial slurs against another human being, whether in the form of graffiti or hostile acts and language. What these incidents in Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake have taught us is that racism exists everywhere and is not unique to one area. This was also exemplified by a local student’s compelling graduation speech regarding her trials and tribulations dealing with bigotry in her young life and I commend her for speaking up about her experiences. I look forward to continuing my work with the LINC steering committee to address racism in our community and stop bigotry in its’ tracks.”