Stetson Reporter

Daly

Now the victim of what some consider a hate crime, he has left Stetson University. His bequest: a high-profile lecture by the mother of a murdered gay college student in Wyoming 10 years ago — set for Jan. 23.

As a freshman, Daly came up with the idea of getting Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy, to bring to Stetson her message of tolerance and understanding toward gay people.

Last spring, he discussed it with Shelley Wilson, the university’s director of leadership and diversity programs, and she gave him some advice on how to go about raising money for Shepard’s honorarium, $10,000.

“Most students might follow up on one or two suggestions, or not at all,” Wilson said. “He followed up on everything. In a couple of days, he had secured half of her speaking fee.”

Before long, everything was set.

But Daly, a business major, will no longer be a student at the DeLand school. After a vandal, likely using a key or knife, carved the word “FAGS” on his metal dorm room door Nov. 11, he decided to transfer to a culinary school in New York.

Daly said the incident — and how the university handled it — are the main reasons for his departure. Students and faculty, just now returning to campus for the spring semester, are stunned.

“This is terrible for Stetson,” philosophy professor Susan Peppers-Bates wrote in an e-mail Thursday. “Will has been a strong and active presence on this campus combating homophobia.”

Wilson called herself heartbroken and added: “I hate for a student who brought so much to the community to be a casualty of such nonsense.” Last month, the student newspaper, the Stetson Reporter, dubbed the vandalism a “hate crime.” The story also reported that one of Daly’s suite mates, who is also gay, was targeted a week later.

The student, who Daly said preferred to use him as a spokesman, had been in the laundry room and returned half an hour later to find someone had written “Death to FAGS” in permanent marker on the wall.

Although Daly contacted the residence hall director the morning he discovered the graffiti, it took a week for the metal door to be fixed and repainted. “The lack of support, the university’s response . . . really made my decision for me,” he said.

Wilson said the delay was likely the result of a “communications breakdown of some sort.” She added that the university will work hard to avoid a mistake like that in the future.

University officials have for years attempted to make the campus more tolerant. Ten years ago, Stetson adopted a values statement that includes embracing diversity. Over time, more and more students on campus have felt comfortable about being open about being gay, Wilson said.

But that has exposed a double-edged sword. The more students are open with their sexual orientation, “the more likely it is that hate will show its face,” Wilson said.

Students, faculty and staff have since responded to the vandalism with energy.

Last month, the Student Government Association passed a bill designed to add “hate speech” as an offense in the student code of conduct. University administrators and student leaders started work on the revision this week, student government President Drew Glasnovich said.

There is also a “safe zone” initiative, where faculty and staff are putting stickers on their office doors to show gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students they are supportive and willing to talk about any concerns a student might have.

Beyond campus, members of Equality Florida, a nonprofit organization that supports rights for people despite sexual preference, are hoping Daly’s case helps highlight a proposed bill that prohibits bullying and harassment during school-related events and on school-related computers.

Daly is a member of Equality Florida, said Brian Winfield, communications director for the group. “As a result of his vulnerability, he suffered from the harassment of an individual who opposes his efforts to be tolerant.”

Winfield said he has been hearing from people around the state planning to attend the Shepard lecture.

Daly said he hopes hundreds pack the Rinker Auditorium. He promises to be there.

In an e-mail, he told The News-Journal: “I want anyone who is willing to listen to understand that hate goes on in this country without many knowing about it. In today’s world, it’s unacceptable to voice prejudice of black people, of women, and anyone else whose voices have been suppressed in the past. But then there are the gays. In today’s world, it is socially acceptable to belittle the (gay) community because we have few rights, especially in Florida.”