Hate crime reported but could be 'outlier'

By Juana Summers

Published Oct. 19, 2007

An incident in AV-14 parking lot is the first hate crime to be reported on the MU campus since 2004.

On Oct. 14, the MU Police Department received a report of second-degree property damage to a red Mitsubishi Eclipse parked in the parking lot. MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said the vehicle was defaced between 3 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 13.

A Confederate flag, racial slurs and swastikas were drawn on the body of the car with a permanent marker, and the hood was keyed, Weimer said.

"During that exact time period, there was only one car affected," Weimer said.

Weimer said the owner of the car reported the incident.

According to the Campus Crime and Safety Report, which is published annually by the MU Police Department in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, three separate hate crimes occurred in 2004.

Two of these hate crimes were classified as on the basis of sexual orientation, and the third was based on the individual's ethnicity.

Multicultural Center Director Pablo Mendoza said he considers this event an "outlier," since it is the first reported incident since 2004.

"Usually, with regard to hate crimes, we ask students to report them to MUPD so it can be included in Clery reports and future investigation can take place," Mendoza said.