Queen’s University students host coronavirus-themed party, student trustee who attended steps down

Queen’s University students are coming under fire once again for hosting a highly insensitive party.

Students attended a coronavirus-themed party on campus over the weekend, according to the university’s newspaper.

The Queen’s University Journal says students wore surgical masks, decorated the walls with biohazard symbols and drank Corona beers.

Photos shared by the Journal show students posing in masks captioned “Infect me daddy,” making light of an epidemic that has claimed hundreds of lives in China.

An undergraduate trustee who attended the event apologized on Monday and subsequently stepped down from his position on Wednesday.

In his apology on Facebook Tyler MacIntyre said he regrets the “legitimization” his presence provided.

“I am aware that my participation implicitly made light of a serious issue that affects many people, both inside and outside of the Queen’s University community,” he said.

The University says “Macintyre expressed understanding and remorse for his actions” in his resignation.

Back in 2016, Queen’s University undergraduates attended a party where students, most of them white, were dressed in offensive costumes depicting racial stereotypes including Middle Eastern sheiks, Viet Cong guerrillas and Buddhist monks.

In a statement released on Monday, Principal Patrick Deane called for the “Queen’s community to come together with dignity and respect” and raised concerns about ostracizing Asian students, but did not directly address the party.

“Actions taken out of fear, guided by misinformation and false assumptions, do a disservice to every member of our community. Ignorantly ostracizing Chinese and Asian students will rip apart the beautiful tapestry of our international campus and must be repudiated by everyone,” he said. “This virus does not discriminate, and our greatest weapon against it is knowledge and correct, preventive action.”

CityNews reached out to Principal Deane’s office for a statement addressing the party in particular. They responded saying the university has worked closely with health officials to gather information about novel coronavirus and have created a special website for the Queen’s community.

They added that the Principal’s statement on Monday “was intended to remind our community not to fall prey to fear and misinformation, and to make every effort to support each other with dignity and respect. It was not specifically issued in response to the regrettable events on the weekend, however it illustrates how important it is that the message be reinforced.”