Duke launches investigation after finding George Floyd toxicology report on Black History display

Durham, North Carolina – Duke University is launching an investigation after an unknown person pinned a copy of George Floyd's toxicology report to a Black History Month display.

George Floyd's death in May 2020 at the hand of Minneapolis police sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world.
George Floyd's death in May 2020 at the hand of Minneapolis police sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world.  © Screenshot/Facebook/George Floyd

A Duke student named Matt Mohn was the first to report the incident, according to CNN.

The display in honor of Black victims of police violence, which featured a photo of George Floyd, was located inside a student dorm.

Next to the image, someone posted the printed toxicology report from Floyd's autopsy with their own annotations: "Mix of drugs presents in difficulty breathing! Overdose? Good Man? Use of fake currency is a felony!"

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Mohn was appalled by the discovery, saying, "All of a sudden, someone comes up and is essentially sticking a thumb in the face of every Black person, saying his life didn't matter, that he wasn't a good person, because of one $20 bill."

"I was just really really surprised by it, that someone would put that much effort into trying to strip someone of their humanity for no reason," he continued.

Another resident of the dorm, a Black student named Michael Manns, was shaken by the act: "The thought that it could be someone I've lived with all these months really terrified me."

The school's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and the Office for Institutional Equity have joined university police in investigating the incident.

Top administrators have threatened disciplinary action if a student is found to be responsible.

Duke is a prestigious private research university, originally founded in 1838.
Duke is a prestigious private research university, originally founded in 1838.  © IMAGO / agefotostock

Racism is not a rare occurrence at the university, Manns insisted: "They like to push this notion that at Duke, there's a bubble and racism can't get in. The reality is, it does happen and racism is allowed to grow here."

Cover photo: Screenshot/Facebook/George Floyd

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