Unknown vandals painted graffiti at two locations on the campus, officials say
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
Unknown perpetrators painted antisemitic graffiti at two locations near the SOU Student and Family Housing Complex on April 25, said Joe Mosley, public information officer for Southern Oregon University.
Mosley confirmed the acts of vandalism in a text message. The university would not discuss details of the graffiti, except to state that it was “antisemitic in nature,” he said.
Asked by Ashland.news, Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara confirmed that the Police Department had been informed of the incident.
Painted on sidewalk
“The antisemitic vandalism was reported to the department on April 26, having been discovered the previous day to campus public safety. The vandalism was to a sidewalk and was “F— Jews” written in some sort of black liquid. We would welcome any information anyone has on this crime,” O’Meara said in an email.
Ashland.news learned of the incident when concerned parent Jennifer Greenberg called to ask why nothing had been reported in the news.
“I was very very concerned. My daughter called and told me. … She heard some guys right outside her dorm,” she said.
Meadow Boulden confirmed that around midnight or 1 a.m. she heard what sounded like trucks full of men shouting and throwing things. The noise was loud enough to disturb her sleep but there had been a sports game that night. She originally guessed the noise was “just a bunch of drunk people.”
The next day she received an email from SOU President Rick Bailey to members of the student body asking if anyone had information about an antisemitic vandalism incident.
‘It was really scary’
“It was really scary. Actually my boyfriend is Jewish and my stepfather is Jewish too. … I’m from Redding. I came here to get away from that stuff,” Boulden said.
The graffiti was removed “almost immediately” by the SOU facilities crew, Mosley said. He confirmed Bailey has asked the campus community for information and help in the investigation. He said that perpetrators will be held accountable.
Asked why the incident was not publicly reported, Mosley said the university followed procedure.
“The campus community was informed and asked for help in the investigation, which is normal procedure in these kinds of situations. The perpetrator was likely seeking attention, and we don’t want to help them achieve that,” he said.
“As President Bailey said, the incident does not reflect the values or principles of SOU — that everyone is deserving of love and respect,” Mosley said.
At this point there is no indication that anyone from SOU was directly involved or directly targeted by it, he said.
Those wishing to report information can call SOU public safety at 541-552-6911 and the Ashland Police Department at 541-488-2211.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.
