Items hanging from trees on the campus of the University of Delaware were paper lanterns, not nooses, and therefore not the product of a hate crime, officials announced Wednesday, while not everyone is satisfied with that explanation.
University officials investigated after a student reported seeing what some thought looked like nooses from a tree in front of the school's Mitchell Hall.
Well, as it turns out, police say those were actually just paper lanterns leftover from an on-campus event.
Yet that doesn't mean the university shouldn't use the opportunity to open up a dialog -- presumably about race relations, considering the deep-rooted symbolism of hatred hanging nooses represent -- acting president Nancy M. Targett said in a statement and Youtube video:
In order to alleviate the tension, Targett will meet with students to discuss the incident on campus at 4:30 p.m.