Roughly 70 members of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Association were sent an e-mail of a racially derogatory nature April 18, with a rapid search of possible culprits following.

The e-mail was sent from the address of SA Senator John Benzinger and read, “Hey we’re doing a good job so far. We got two n*gg*rs off the senate; lets [sic] mow down some more.”

The e-mail comes in the wake of the impeachment of one black SA senator as well as the resignation of another.

According to a letter from SA President Brett P. Belden, the UWM Police Department was informed 20 minutes after the e-mail was received.

“The [SA] acknowledges that this is a serious problem,” Belden said. “We are strongly committed to identifying the individual or individuals responsible for this despicable act.”

However, Benzinger was not in the SA office at the time the e-mail was sent. SA spokesperson Joe Ahlers explained Benzinger was across town, and others who were with Benzinger corroborated this fact.

“A lot of people don’t believe Mr. Benzinger sent this e-mail,” Ahlers said. “It was strange because a lot of people know him and this does not sound possible.”

According to Ahlers, the SA will push the university to hold the highest penalty possible for whoever is guilty of sending the e-mail.

Ahlers added the university’s response has been positive with students and SA members gathering to promote diversity on their campus through the help of the UWM organization Coalition for Diversity and Access.

However, such acts are uncommon on Madison’s campus, according to UW Associated Students of Madison Academic Affairs chair Ashok Kumar. He said he has not witnessed a similar act in his two years of involvement with ASM.

“A lot of things have happened, but nothing as exclusively racially motivated as this,” Kumar said.

Kumar said UW’s structure allows for considerably better racial tolerance.

“We have a [Multicultural Student Coalition], we have diversity committees, we have all these different committees,” Kumar explained. “You have to go through diversity training before you join ASM and we’re pushing for everybody who goes through [Student Orientation & Registration] to get diversity training.”

Kumar added he did not think there would be much sympathy for the individual or individuals involved in a similar situation.