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The University of Miami is investigating four separate incidents in the past two weeks of school property being defaced by swastikas.
President Donna Shalala sent an email to students and staff today notifying them of incidents taking place March 2, 10, and 11 in the Hecht Residential College, one of the school’s largest dormitories, usually reserved for freshmen.
“The University of Miami has zero tolerance for acts of bigotry and harassment of a resident student staff member. Defacing university property with a swastika symbol is not only a crime, it is a hate crime and a deplorable attack on our community,” Shalala’s statement read.
The swastikas were found in the Pentland tower’s elevator, sixth-floor hallway, and bathrooms.
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The vandalism follows a similar incident last fall when a swastika was found inside a bathroom near the school’s Jewish studies department.
Recently, University of Florida was rocked when flyers with swastikas were found around campus attacking a party of student government candidates. Though that school’s president, Bernie Machen, defended the symbol closely associated with Hitler’s Nazi Germany on the grounds of free speech.
Anyone with information is asked to call UM Police at 305-284-6666.
