Duke will allow student who hung a noose on a tree to return

Duke University announced Friday that the student who left a noose on a tree in April, unsettling the campus, had done so out of "ignorance and bad judgment." While the student has received a sanction from the university, Duke will allow the student to return next semester.

The university also published an apology from the student (whose name has not been revealed). The apology has suggested to some on campus that the student is from outside the United States. Duke declined to comment on the background of the student. However, sources with knowledge of the situation said that the person in question was indeed an international student.

The debate about Duke's response to the noose incident and the racial climate at the university has continued with Friday's announcement. Some on campus, noting that various colleges in recent weeks have expelled students responsible for racial slurs, have questioned why Duke isn't doing the same. Others, believing the student to be from outside the United States, have argued that more leniency is appropriate since it is possible such a student might not associate the noose with violent racism against black people.