A Kerckhoff Hall restroom was vandalized sometime Tuesday night
or Wednesday morning when someone drew swastikas and scrawled
“fuck Jews” on a stall door.
As of Wednesday afternoon, police said they had received no
reports of the incident, which will likely qualify as a hate
crime.
According to the university police Web site, any incident
involving violent acts, property damage, defacing of property,
intimidation or threats prompted by a person’s personal
characteristics is considered a hate crime.
“Usually the penalties are more severe if it’s
hate-related,” said Nancy Greenstein, director of police
community services at UCPD.
Greenstein said she had not heard anything about this specific
incident of vandalism, and that such crimes often go
unreported.
Shaun Doria, a third-year neuroscience and political science
student and member of the Jewish community, said although he does
not believe hate is a huge problem on campus in general, he is
concerned about incidents such as the vandalism in Kerckhoff
Hall.
“It’s really unacceptable,” he said.
“Kerckhoff is one of the main representations of our campus.
… It’s definitely a cause for concern.”
He said last year some students had anti-Semitic graffiti
scrawled on their doors, but were afraid to report the incidents to
police.
Greenstein noted that overall, hate crimes are a fairly rare
occurrence on campus. In 2005, seven hate crimes were reported to
university police ““ three were race-related hate crimes, two
concerned sexual orientation and two targeted certain ethnicities,
Greenstein said.
But in recent years, some hate crimes on campus have drawn
significant attention. In September 2004, a rock was thrown through
the window of the UCLA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Campus Resource Center, in what UCPD classified as a hate
crime.
And in May 2005, a crossed-out swastika was graffitied on the
front of the Bayit, the Jewish co-op on Landfair Avenue.
Lauryn Gold, a second-year English and philosophy student and
member of the Jewish community, said although she was disturbed by
the vandalism, she does not feel personally threatened by it.
“I’m kind of surprised because UCLA is pretty good
about being accepting,” she said. “But there’s a
big difference between writing or saying things, and any kind of
action.”
To report information about hate crimes, call UCPD at
310-825-1491.