Classes were canceled Friday at the University of La Verne in response to “heinous acts” targeting students that may have been racially motivated.

“Over the past two days, the University of La Verne has received two reports of heinous acts targeted at members of our student body,” according to a message posted on the university’s website. “These actions are despicable and are an affront to our values as a university. This is a critical moment for us to declare that we will not tolerate this type of behavior.

“In acknowledgement of these incidents and in support of our students, the University of La Verne will cancel all afternoon and evening classes on the La Verne campus today, Friday, March 1, effective at noon. The pause will also allow the university to assess this evolving situation and continue to cooperate with law enforcement in ongoing criminal investigations.”

The online message did not specify the nature of the “heinous acts.” The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported that a student’s car was vandalized — possibly set on fire — Friday morning in a dormitory parking lot. The targeted student “had previously reported receiving race-based threats of violence via social media,” university administrators said in an alert to students cited by the Daily Bulletin.

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