Epstein concerns cover campus sidewalks

Editor’s Note: The article will be updated as more information becomes available. 

On Wednesday, Coastal Carolina students were met with graffitied messages across five sidewalks referencing aspects of the Jeffery Epstein files and alleged involvement of President Donald Trump. 

The identity of the individual or individuals responsible for the graffiti remains unknown at this time.  

Department of Public Safety Officer Lt. Lonnie Flemming declined to comment, stating that this is an ongoing investigation. 

Sidewalks with graffitied messages were located at Prince Lawn, the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business and the Lib Jackson Student Union.  

Among the statements graffitied on the sidewalks were: “The 1% see us as cattle nothing more,” “Our President is a pedo,” “Minors molested but memes are more important” and “Land of the free? Or the farmed?” 

Amiris Roberts, president of CCU’s social justice club shared an email to club members regarding the graffiti. 

“While I respect everyone’s right to their own political views and freedom of expression, vandalizing a public campus is not the way to make a point,” Roberts wrote. “These are serious issues that deserve meaningful discussion awareness, and action. However spray-painting sidewalks places the burden of cleanup on the university and distracts for them real conversations that need to happen.” 

Roberts also shared that there are more effective ways to activate change. 

“Activism should uplift, inform and bring people together, not damage the spaces we all share,” Roberts wrote.

Elaine Huntington, a junior sustainability major, shared that seeing the messages on her walk to class was shocking.  

“I feel like this wasn’t the best way to go about it when you feel very strongly about something by all means speak out, but once you start doing things like spray painting for vandalism it can harm the community or the environment in one way or another,” Huntington said.  

While Huntington did not agree with the means, she shared the importance of speaking out.  

“It definitely needed to be said because at Coastal we don’t do well talking about things that need to be brought up,” Huntington said. “Students need to be putting their voices out there, but there are better ways to go about it through protesting or organizing groups, and this person may have been in fear, but these are the first steps towards change.”  

The Chanticleer reached out to the department of Marketing and Communications and received the following statement: “On Wednesday, Feb. 11, Coastal Carolina University was made aware of graffiti around campus. The University’s Department of Public Safety was notified and is conducting a complete investigation. Additionally, staff from Grounds have completed the removal of the graffiti.”