UPDATE: The University of Pennsylvania is in crisis mode after a series of highly offensive emails, falsely attributed to the university, were sent to its community on December 8, 2023. The messages, which emerged early Friday morning, have ignited outrage and prompted an immediate investigation.
The vulgar emails, appearing to originate from the Graduate School of Education, condemned the institution, referring to it as a “dogs— elitist institution full of woke r——.” The emails urged recipients to “stop giving” money to the university, raising serious concerns about security practices and the integrity of communications from one of the nation’s premier educational institutions.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed the messages are “obviously” fake and “highly offensive.” “This is obviously a fake, and nothing in the highly offensive, hurtful message reflects the mission or actions of Penn or of Penn GSE,” the spokesperson stated. The university’s Office of Information Security is actively addressing the situation, despite earlier claims that the institution had been hacked.
As the investigation unfolds, the university clarified that it was not a victim of hacking but is tracing the source of the fraudulent correspondence. The incident has drawn widespread attention, with the university issuing a public statement on Facebook to inform the community about the situation.
“We sincerely apologize for the harm this has caused. Over and above the inconvenience of getting your inboxes spammed, these emails are hurtful and upsetting,” the university stated. The emails have affected not only members of the university but also individuals outside of UPenn, indicating a broader issue of malicious access to email lists.
Elizabeth Cooper, the IT help desk manager at the university, revealed that these emails are part of a troubling trend, stating, “It appears that some email list, which is beyond our control, was accessed by malicious individuals who then sent out these messages.” The university has also reported that other departments, including Penn Medicine Academic Computing Services and the School of Nursing’s IT services, have acknowledged receiving similar complaints.
The emotional impact on the university community has been significant, with many expressing outrage at the crude language used in the emails. This incident comes at a time when many institutions are grappling with issues surrounding online security and the integrity of digital communications.
As the university continues its investigation, members of the community are urged to remain vigilant about suspicious emails. The situation serves as a critical reminder of the vulnerabilities that educational institutions face in an increasingly digital world.
Next steps for Penn include enhancing email security measures and possibly implementing new protocols to safeguard against similar incidents in the future. The university is committed to transparency as it navigates this troubling situation.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story as the University of Pennsylvania works to protect its community and uphold its values.
