Michigan State student sprays swastika on his own fraternity house
Incident reportedly not motivated by anti-Semitism, but Pi Kappa Alpha group kicks out offender for spreading ‘Nazi propaganda’
JTA — A fraternity member in Michigan State University in the US spray-painted a swastika on the grounds of the group’s house on Saturday.
The unnamed student has been suspended from Pi Kappa Alpha over the Saturday morning incident, the Jewish News reported. The newspaper said the incident did not appear to be inspired by anti-Semitism. The student also drew the name of a female student.
Pi Kappa Alpha said in a statement that it “has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of discrimination or hate speech and is fully cooperating with the East Lansing Police Department in their investigation.”
MSU senior Dean Sallan informed the campus Jewish groups — MSU Chabad House and MSU Hillel chapters — about the graffiti.
“Throughout my education, I’ve dealt with students and their hateful words, but when you put a swastika on the ground like that, that’s Nazi propaganda to me and that can’t be taken lightly,” Sallan told the Jewish News.
Pi Kappa Alpha’s president has expressed interest in introducing education about anti-Semitism into the fraternity, MSU Hillel director Cindy Hughey told the newspaper.
“It is crucial for us to use this incident to show the recent rise of anti-Semitism in our community and allow for this to be an educational tool,” MSU Chabad Vice President Maverick Levy told the Jewish News.
