By Joe Johnson
The University of Georgia is investigating a recent case of vandalism in which swastikas were drawn on dorm room doors at two residence halls.
One of the buildings was Russell Hall off Baxter Street, where a UGA police report indicated the anti-Semitic symbols were drawn on more than a dozen dorm room doors.
A similar incident reportedly happened at Creswell Hall, also off Baxter Street, but information on that was not immediately available from university officials
In Russell Hall, the anti-Semitic drawings were made between about 3:30 and 10:15 on Nov. 9, while students were attending the Georgia-Missouri game at Dooley Field, according to a UGA police report.
One female student alerted another about the swastikas that had been drawn on the door to her room and 17 others, according to the report.
The students said they “went into the hallway and observed the drawings which were small to medium in size and had been drawn using a black dry-erase marker,” the police report stated. “Most of the drawings were smeared, but some were still intact “ and one of the students took pictures of them, according to the police report.
That student reported the incident to UGA’s Equal Opportunity Office on Oct. 11, and a police officer interviewed her at Russell Hall on Monday, according to the report.
Neither student suspected anyone who might have been responsible, according to police,
After Classic City News made inquiries about the swastikas, UGA President Jere W. Morehead issued the following statement to the UGA community:
“Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:
You may be aware of troubling reports about swastikas drawn on message boards and placards in two of our residence halls. I am appalled by such offensive and outrageous displays of hate.
“ Let me be clear: this type of behavior has no place on our campus. The University of Georgia is defined by our shared values. Respect for others, diversity of thought, a love of learning, and a drive to expand knowledge and make a positive difference—these values unite us as a campus community and inspire our academic endeavors.
“This matter has been investigated by the Equal Opportunity Office and University Police. However, the individual(s) responsible remains unknown. If you have any information regarding the perpetrator(s) in this matter, please contact Janyce Dawkins, Director of the Equal Opportunity Office, at edawkins@uga.edu or 706-542-7912 or Dan Silk, UGA Chief of Police, at dsilk@police.uga.edu or 706-542-2200.
Morehead ended his statement by saying, “Let us reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of our University community.”
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