Actress Jenna Fischer took the high road and donated her speaking fee after an event she held at DePauw University was interrupted by student protestors Tuesday night.
Fischer, in Indiana to promote her new book “The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide,” was there to speak to an audience of theater students about her career. Approximately 15 minutes into the event, someone in the crowd stood up and blew a whistle, at which point around 100 students carrying protest signs stood and began shouting, the Indy Star reports.
The protest was held in response to four recent instances of racist, homophobic, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic messages posted around campus, which the university is currently investigating. Protests continued today at a news conference held by DePauw University leadership to discuss the investigation, according to the Indy Star.
After the event ended, Fischer showed support for the protestors by donating her speaking fee to charity in the students’ names.
“In light of last night’s events, using the full amount I was paid by the university, I will be making equal donations to the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League and the Trevor Project in the name of the students at DePauw University,” Fischer said in statement posted to her Twitter account Wednesday. “My hope is for all people to be respected, accepted and loved for their individuality and uniqueness. And, above all, to be safe.”
“The student protestors spoke about their experiences and about the hate they have been encountering. I could feel the pain, sadness, and fear coming from these students,” Fischer tweeted. “No student should feel at risk, or have to suffer the kinds of bigotry and hate these students have encountered. These students need to be heard and they need change.”
See Fischer’s full statement via Twitter below:
Please read. pic.twitter.com/aQjAF5v7yX
— Jenna Fischer (@jennafischer) April 18, 2018