“Go Back to the Zoo”: How Evergreen State College Became a Target For Right-Wing Trolls

Student protests at Evergreen State College brought national media attention. Then came the trolls. Evergreen State College

Spring quarter at Evergreen State College is coming to a rocky close. After videos of heated student protests went viral and made national headlines, local law enforcement officials received two threats against the college, prompting Evergreen administrators to close and cancel classes for nearly three days. Soon after the campus reopened, Evergreen President George Bridges announced the college’s graduation ceremony would be held at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium, rather than its traditional location on campus.

Two other ceremonies, Lavender Graduation, a ceremony for LGBTQ+ students, and First People’s Graduation Recognition Ceremony, which celebrates graduates of color, were cancelled. In an e-mail to students announcing the cancellation, faculty said they “cannot, in good conscience be aware of these threats and host a graduation ceremony that gathers trans, queer, gender non-conforming, intersex, LGB, and people of color into one space. It would be irresponsible to continue with ‘business as usual’ knowing that our offices are actively being targeted.”