A Louisville university dismissed class in the wake of a grand jury’s decision not to charge cops for killing Breonna Taylor — and instead urged students to use the time to “channel your feelings into constructive action.”
Bellarmine University president Susan Donovan canceled classes Wednesday afternoon and all of Thursday after the only charges filed in Taylor’s case were against Officer Brett Hankison for firing into the homes of her neighbors during a March 13 raid.
In a letter to students, she called on “the white members of our Bellarmine community to educate yourselves on systemic racism, recognize your part in it, and work toward inclusion,” Campus Reform reported.
“Breonna Taylor’s death reminds us that as a society we have so much more work to do to end systemic racism and move toward justice for all,” Donovan said in a statement.
“We cannot simply say that we are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion without backing that up with strong measures.”
She added that the college “must continue to strengthen … our support for our diversity of students, faculty and staff.”
“As we work together on these and other measures, I urge you to continue to channel your feelings into constructive action and I urge you not to lose hope,” she said.
Protesters light candles and lay flowers outside the federal courthouse in remembrance of Breonna Taylor in Seattle, Washington.Alamy Stock PhotoThe university then directed students to information on how to protest safely.
“If you choose to protest, please do so as safely as possible using proper PPE (i.e. masks, gloves), following social distancing guidelines and cleaning your hands as often as possible to curb the spread of COVID-19,” the college said.
Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was sleeping when cops entered her home during a narcotics investigation and fatally shot her after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired his legally licensed gun once at what he believed were home invaders.



