DPS closes hate crime investigation

The Division of Public Safety has concluded an investigation of a reported swastika engraving in Steinhardt Hall, which houses Penn Hillel.

The investigation proved inconclusive and no suspect was determined, but the incident is being classified as a hate crime, according to Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush.

On Feb. 9, a female part-time employee at Penn Hillel’s Falk Dining Commons reported seeing a nickel-sized swastika engraved into the aluminum surface of a service elevator in Steinhardt Hall. Rush said this is the first report of a hate crime on campus in seven years.

According to Rush, Bon Appétit voluntarily had its staff members undergo sensitivity training. The investigation, however, did not lead to any “reason to believe that Bon Appétit staff had anything to do with it,” Rush said.

Executive Director of Business Services Douglas Berger said in a statement, “the management of the dining facility has reached out to all employees at Falk to encourage their cooperation during the investigation as well as to let them know about all the resources available to them should they need support in response to this incident.”

The elevator is generally used by vendors, Hillel staff members and Bon Appétit staff members, Rush said. She added that students don’t normally have access to this area.

DPS took a two-pronged approach, first immediately removing the mark of vandalism and then launching an investigation.

The investigation included 20 interviews and a review of 16 days worth of video footage and years worth of access control records, according to Rush.

DPS considered using handwriting analysis for the vandalism but was unable to do so.

“It’s very difficult because it was done in an open space,” Rush said. Additionally, there remains uncertainty of when the act itself occurred.

“On behalf of everyone at Falk Dining Commons and Penn’s dining operations we wish to express how saddened we are by this deplorable act and our strong support for the Penn Hillel community of which we are proud to be a part,” said Berger’s statement.

“We take [the hate crime] seriously and it’s not something that’s acceptable at Penn,” Rush said. “Fortunately at Penn, we’ve had very few instances of hate graffiti.”

Hillel Director Rabbi Mike Uram was pleased with the way Penn reacted to the incident. “They were great. [They were] professionals throughout the whole thing,” he said.

Though Uram said the incident is a source of concern and should be taken seriously, he personally did not perceive it as a threat.

“[The swastika] could have been there for weeks or months. Given the circumstances, the University did a great job investigating,” he said.

“[I’m] very happy that Penn is a very safe place to the Jewish and other minorities — it makes it a very safe place to be a person of distinction,” he added.

College junior and Hillel President Alex Jefferson agreed.

“The University handled it tremendously,” he said.

However, Jefferson is disheartened by the hate crime. “It’s sad that this still exists in our society.”

The event did not cause Jefferson to feel unsafe or compromised. “I am blessed on Penn’s campus to feel safe to be who I am,” he said.

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