The Boston College Police Department (BCPD) issued a trespass Thursday to a man who shouted the n-word and a string of expletives near a group of Black students outside St. Mary’s Hall.

“On Thursday 10/23 at 11:48AM, a student reported to the Office of the Dean of Students (DOS) that a video was circulating among students of an unknown person who appeared to be a middle-aged white male yelling racial slurs and profanities on middle campus,” wrote University Spokesman Jack Dunn.

The video, shared with The Heights and circulated among students on social media, shows a middle-aged man—wearing a button-down shirt, hat, and a backpack—walking away from a group of students outside Saint Mary’s Hall, shouting “worthless piece of f—king s—t” and calling them the n-word. 

A student reported the video to the Office of the Dean of Students (DoS), which then contacted BCPD. According to Dunn, the man was not affiliated with BC, and BCPD trespassed him from campus. 

The individual stated he was talking on his phone and did not direct his comments to anyone on campus, according to details from a Student Affairs report provided by Dunn. 

Once an individual is trespassed by BCPD, they are formally banned from campus, and reentry could risk arrest for criminal trespass under Massachusetts law—an offense punishable by a $100 fine and up to 30 days in jail.

In response to the incident, Richard Obeakemhe, co-president of the Black Student Forum and MCAS ’26, said the incident came at a particularly difficult time for the Black community on campus, citing declining numbers of AHANA+ students and broader challenges facing Black communities nationwide.

“I think it’s something that’s not only been building up for a while, but we’ve seen an emphasis of it,” Obeakemhe said. “With the current administration, I think a lot of people just feel a lot more emboldened to say things like that, without the repercussions of it.”

Obeakemhe also linked the incident to broader campus tensions, citing a recent event hosted by the BC Republicans, where an unauthorized speaker made incendiary remarks that sparked backlash and prompted the organization to issue a public condemnation.

“It may be an isolated incident, but you can also talk about things like the BC Republicans speaker,” Obeakemhe said. “There’s such heightened tension of political strife on campus, and BC not only tries to shove it out of the way, but tries to try to stay as apolitical as possible. If you can’t stand up for something, you stand for nothing. I think that’s kind of what I’m seeing right now with BC.”

The DoS and other campus offices are prepared to provide support and resources to affected students, according to Dunn. The University did not release a campus-wide statement about the incident.

Obeakemhe emphasized that outreach is crucial to making students aware of available resources, even in isolated incidents. Without proactive communication from the University, he said, some events may go unreported, leaving students uncertain about where to turn for support.

“If there is only one person to experience an incident like this one, they may not know who to turn to, what kind of resources are available to students,” said Obeakemhe. “I think that’s one way to talk about support. That’s why I’m asking, ‘What does BC have in terms of—besides the Office of the Dean—for students to get help and discuss this kind of experience?’”

Update (Monday, Oct. 27, 9:21 a.m.): This article has been updated to reflect new information from a Student Affairs report provided by University Spokesman Jack Dunn.