Recently, a peaceful protest occurred related to a talk given on campus by an Israeli Defense Force reservist. The President’s Office received information indicating that the protestors referred to this speaker using inappropriate labels. Since that time, more details have emerged indicating that this attribution was inaccurate. The university has corrected its previous statement and apologized to the students who participated in the peaceful protest.

The University of Florida places the highest value on creating a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment where all students, faculty and staff feel safe. UF is a community of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, and our greatest strength lies in our ability to embrace all perspectives and viewpoints and not harm others with our words.

As events occur on campus that appear or are reported to be at odds with our values, we believe it is important to communicate in a timely manner to reaffirm what we hold important.