Officials investigate rainbow nooses found hanging on college campus

Officials at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee are investigating the display of 6 rainbow colored nooses found hanging from a tree on campus. 

According to The Leaf-Chronicle, the nooses were found on campus near the Trahern building, where most of the university art classes are held.

In a statement, President Alisa White called the display "deeply disturbing."

"This incident is deeply disturbing and is hurtful to our University community,” White said. "Regardless of the intent, the display has no place on our campus. I am saddened, and I am sorry for the hurt and offense this has caused and want our students, faculty, and staff to know that it will not be tolerated.”

One anonymous student claimed on the university's Facebook post that it was part of an art project for a sculpture class, and that the project was approved by the instructor. 

According to the Washington Post, some on social media subsequently claimed that the display was not meant to be malicious but instead was an art project intended to bring attention to the number of suicides within the LGBT community.

The incident has sparked debate online about the appropriateness of the display. 

“Definitely racist and whoever thought that this is OK. It is not,” one Facebook user wrote. “As a black student attending APSU, I am deeply sadden (sic) by that. They know better then (sic) to leave ropes hanging from a tree.”

Another Facebook user, however, argued that “this is what art is about.”

“As an actual lesbian,” she wrote, “I’m going to say this: If the piece truly was about suicides in LGBT community, than (sic) it was a spectacular piece. It needs to have attention, not just small articles here and there. Suicides in the LGBT community is an epidemic.

“Whoever the student was, bravo, you have the attention of the people, that is what art is about. It’s not always going to be pretty, it’s going to be raw, and from the heart. Art tells a story.”

The Leaf-Chronicle and the Washington Post contributed to this report. 

The Gayly- 4/19/2016 @ 1:22 PM CDT.