Police say painted swastika found at Kent State University

A campus Jewish organization and the Portage County NAACP are condemning the painting of a swastika that was discovered this week on the Kent State University campus.

Kent State spokesman Eric Mansfield said Wednesday that the symbol was painted on pavement on front campus, but he would not say where. The symbol has since been removed.

He did say that the swastika was not painted on the iconic rock on front campus, where messages, sometimes controversial, have been painted for decades.

In a message to the campus community Wednesday morning, the university said it is unclear when the swastika was painted, “but in the aftermath of the massacre in Buffalo, New York, its appearance serves as a reminder of the threat of extremism.”

KSU Police said because the matter is under investigation, details would not be released.

Adam Hirsh, executive director of Hillel at Kent State University, said the group is “deeply shocked and concerned to learn of a hateful and antisemitic act of vandalism that occurred earlier this week on the grounds of Kent State University.”

“We condemn this and all acts of antisemitism on campus and in our communities,” he said. “The perpetrator of this act painted an image of a swastika, an antisemitic symbol that represents the Nazi regime that murdered over 6 million Jews and millions of others. The symbol has since been embraced by other hate groups in an attempt to intimidate and traumatize the Jewish community. With the rising wave of extremism in our communities, we cannot ignore this act of antisemitism and denounce hate of all forms in the strongest possible terms.”

He encouraged Jewish students, as well as their parents and friends, to reach out to Hillel staff “if they need a listening ear or have questions.” The group has reached out to partners at KSU, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Hillel International, ADL Cleveland, and Kent State Police “to combat this hate and stand up for our Jewish community and friends.”

Renee Romine, president of the Portage County NAACP said the image was troubling in the wake of the shooting in Buffalo last weekend.

“Hate displayed with the swastika symbol painted on the Kent State University campus and the recent mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket erodes the fabric of our community and nation,” she said. “Taking a stanza from our Pledge of Allegiance, we are, ‘one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.’ We can never stand on the sidelines and watch, or ever get tired when liberty and justice are threatened because it involves all of us. We are indivisible.”

In 2020, Kent State considered removing the rock after messages such as “white lives matter” and “blacks have no home here” were painted on the rock. The university eventually came up with a policy on painting the rock, stating that offensive messages could be removed at any time.

Commencement was held last weekend and classes are not currently being held.

The university said counseling is available for staff and students if needed.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com or 330-298-1139.