Folsom Lake College reported a poster displaying “Pepe the Frog” to the Los Rios Police Department, claiming that the meme has been “co-opted by white supremacist and others as a symbol of bigotry,” according to a statement released by the college administration.
California College calls the police over meme: https://t.co/jtKr6QhyTt #education #news
— Campus Reform (@campusreform) February 21, 2019
After a faculty member found the depiction of the cartoon frog posted on their door, the school’s administration reported the incident to the community college campus police force; the Los Rios Police Department, as well as issuing a statement in an email, saying that they are “treating this incident with the highest level of seriousness.” (RELATED: Venezuelan Currency Slowly Getting Replaced By Pepe Memes)
The email also states that “hate has no home at Folsom Lake College”:
“Let us take this opportunity to state clearly and without equivocation that hate has no home at Folsom Lake College. Our students, faculty, and staff deserve a place to study and work that is free of bigotry and discrimination in any form. If you, or anyone you know, sees any materials posted on campus of a hateful or bigoted nature, please report it immediately (students should report incidents to faculty or staff, and faculty/staff members should report incidents to a dean or supervisor).”
The Pepe image appeared alongside social justice-themed posters also pinned to the door, one reading “Avoid Fascist Dog Whistles,” and listing terms such as “Family Values,” “Traditionalist,” “Free Speech Rally,” “Men’s Rights,” among others.
According to Kristy Hart, Folsom Lake College’s Communications & Public Information Officer, the teacher whose door was targeted with the Pepe image happens to be a very active social justice activist and member of Black Lives Matter.
Pepe the Frog has been associated by many with the “alt-right” and white nationalist movements, initially gaining traction as a meme in pop culture because of a joke told to a Daily Beast journalist by a Twitter troll in 2016. (RELATED: Here’s How Two Twitter Pranksters Convinced The World That Pepe The Frog Meme Is Just A Front For White Nationalism)
Editor’s note: This post has been updated to clarify that students called campus police — not state police — to report the sign. It has also been updated to include information from Kristy Hart regarding details of the teacher who was targeted.