University of Minnesota student arrested in case of swastika graffiti

The 18-year-old student from St. Cloud faces a charge of criminal damage to property, according to a police report, and university officials called the incident a bias crime.

By Haley Hansen, Star Tribune

February 17, 2017 at 3:23AM

University of Minnesota police arrested a student Thursday for allegedly vandalizing a public area of a residence hall with anti-Semitic graffiti.

The 18-year-old student from St. Cloud faces a charge of criminal damage to property, according to a police report, and university officials called the case a bias crime. The student allegedly drew a swastika on a desk in a public part of the 17th Avenue Residence Hall, where he lives.

The incident reported to police on Feb. 7 is one of seven cases of anti-Semitic graffiti or propaganda reported to the university's Bias Response and Referral Network since the beginning of December.

Thursday's arrest occurred a week after another student found a swastika and a picture of a concentration camp drawn on a white board inside his room.

"The University of Minnesota condemns all acts of hate on our campus," a news release noted.

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Haley Hansen, Star Tribune

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