More hate incidents occur at Syracuse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Police Department has made an arrest after a series of new graffiti markings was discovered on school grounds, authorities said Thursday.
The announcement came hours after Syracuse Chancellor Ken Syverud agreed to the demands of students protesting the university’s handling of a two-week run of almost daily racist, anti-Semitic incidents that has prompted tension on the campus 250 miles north of New York City.
Kym McGowan, 18, was arrested on charges of fourth-degree criminal mischief and marking graffiti, both misdemeanors, police said. She was released on an appearance ticket.
City police said McGowan was connected to four incidents of graffiti in and around a garage and the school’s library. Those graffiti, however, appeared to be supporting the anti-racism protests on the campus. It was not immediately clear whether the arrest was related to any of the prior incidents.
Earlier Thursday, Syverud relented after a campus forum Wednesday night devolved into an angry walkout when Syverud balked at signing off on the 19 demands. More than 100 students then marched to Syverud’s residence, chanting “sign or resign” and other slogans.
Syverud’s announcement said he would immediately accept 16 demands and would work with students to iron out minor legal issues with three others championed by #NotAgainSU protesters.
“In response to real concerns raised by members of our community, the leadership team and I have worked in good faith – to support the thoughtful, forward-thinking and constructive solutions offered by many of our students,” Syverud said in a statement Thursday.
#NotAgainSU participants have been conducting sit-ins and other protests for more than a week. Among their wide-ranging demands are expulsion of all students involved in racist incidents, housing options for students to live in multicultural living communities, mandatory diversity training for faculty and more counselors representing marginalized minorities.
At least a dozen incidents of graffiti, racist heckling and other issues have been reported to campus police since Nov. 7 at the private, 22,000-student university. Security was tightened across the campus Tuesday after a white supremacist manifesto was posted on a campus forum, prompting fears among some students that a mass shooting could erupt. Syverud later described the incident as a hoax.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized Syverud’s handling of the “disturbing” incidents and called on the university’s Board of Trustees to bring in an “experienced monitor” to oversee the crisis.
“They have not been handled in a manner that reflects this state’s aggressive opposition to such odious, reckless, reprehensible behavior,” Cuomo said Tuesday. “Despite his efforts, I do not believe Chancellor Syverud has handled this matter in a way that instills confidence.”
The school’s leadership countered Cuomo with an 11-page chart detailing how its administration has responded to each incident.
The most recent incident was reported Wednesday when campus police said they were working with Syracuse city police, State Police and the FBI to investigate an email threat made containing anti-Semitic language against a faculty member.
Campus police have responded in recent days by increasing car and walking patrols.