Dive Brief:

• The chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was the target of racist and sexist messages after she decided to hold class Monday despite plunging temperatures.
• Phyllis Wise, who is Asian-American, said the school would stay open and urged caution in the cold; reaction on Twitter was swift, and included a hashtag using profanity and Wise's name.
• Phyllis Wise's reaction: "It's sad. I'm hoping this still represents a very, very small minority."

Dive Insight:

While the decision did spark invective, other Twitter users popped up to defend Wise and denounce the crass and offensive Tweets.