Jewish student at Stanford reports swastikas and Hitler image posted on dorm room door
Jewish Stanford student finds swastika, disturbing photo on dorm-room door
A Jewish student at Stanford University found swastikas and a photo altered to look like Adolph Hitler on their dorm-room door. Its the latest in a series of anti-Semitic incidents on campus this school year. Stanford officials call this incident a brazen threat and that no student should feel uncomfortable where they live.
STANFORD, CA - A Jewish student at Stanford University says someone left swastikas and a photo altered to look like Adolf Hitler on their dorm room door. The university says there have been multiple anti-Semitic incidents on campus this school year, all of which the school condemns.
Stanford officials say this was a brazen threat towards an individual student and that no student should be made to feel uncomfortable where they live. The university says these threats are criminal and students say they’re glad the university is responding.
"I feel like people are super-duper respectful, but in a lot of places where there’s anonymity, and people think they can get away with things because they’re not saying it straight up to their face," said Edgar Artega, a freshman at Stanford who lives in Florence Moore Hall.
On Friday, a Jewish student at Stanford's Florence Moore Hall reported that swastikas and an image modified to look like Adolf Hitler, were posted on the message board attached to their dorm room door. Harry, who asked that his last name not be used, is Jewish and a senior at Stanford living in another dorm hall.
"The worse parts of a person can come out when they’re bored, and I think, thankfully there hasn’t been any violence. It’s mostly been horrible images and speech. I really hope that it doesn’t turn into violence," Harry said.
During this school year, there have been three anti-Semitic incidents reported on campus including the latest incident. Stanford released a statement that says in part:
"Stanford wholeheartedly rejects antisemitism, racism, hatred, and associated symbols, which are reprehensible and will not be tolerated."
"It really broke my heart to see that it affected the student and the larger community. As a Muslim student here, we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community right now and our hearts go out to them," said Itbaan Nafi, a junior at Stanford who also lives in Florence Moore Hall.
The university says mental health services are available as well as support from staff at the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and Hillel.
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"The action that Stanford has taken has been good. They’ve really reached out to us to make sure that we have support from our resident advisors and all the Deans. We just hope that Stanford’s able to support the community in need now and help us get some sort of resolution from this," Nafi said.
Stanford’s Dept. of Public Safety is investigating the incident as a hate crime.
They’re asking anyone with information about this incident to contact the Dept. of Public Safety at (650) 723-9633 or its 24-hour communications center at (650) 329-2413.