By Alan Nemirovski
An Instagram account was criticised by Rosebery Hall staff for sharing inappropriate comments about residents on its page. The account posts comments that are submitted by other residents.
An email sent to residents on Friday 25 February from Rosebery Hall’s Warden, Jack Winterton, outlines that the account has posted, amongst many comments (or “confessions”):
- Sexually explicit language that objectifies female residents
- Racially insensitive remarks about residents
- Bad-tempered remarks about the behaviour of residents
The email also stipulates that the sexually explicit and racially insensitive comments “will be investigated as potential breaches of the LSE Student Accommodation Disciplinary Code and will be escalated to a School-level disciplinary board if necessary”.
Screenshots obtained by The Beaver of almost 30 posts on the account show comments ranging from the seemingly innocuous – such as “where is tom??” – to comments of a degrading and insensitive nature. Some examples include: “To all the fellas bitching about banging go get yourselves some pussy :D” and “24 February: kill a northerner day”.
The Warden’s email clarifies, however, that this situation should not “crowd out the exceptional amount of goodwill and generosity that is core to being a resident at Rosebery Hall”. Nonetheless, Winterton reiterates that this situation needs to be addressed, as it “will be a source of concern for a number of residents”.
When contacted about what further action the School has taken, an LSE spokesperson said: “LSE takes all cases of discriminatory and offensive behaviour and language very seriously. We have reported the account in question to Instagram and have asked them to suspend and remove it.”
“The Warden for Rosebery Hall has contacted all residents to offer support to those affected by the account and its contents,” the spokesperson added.
Ryan*, a second-year undergraduate student living in the hall, says that a similar account was created last year, and that “people really liked it”. He also mentions that this account is preventing some people from following it. This includes members of Rosebery’s hall committee, whose achievements this year have been criticised on the account.
No comment was provided by LSE regarding whether those behind the account were identified. At the time this article was written, the account remains active, but is private.
*: Denotes changes to names in this article to preserve anonymity
