|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A 23-year-old student from Fairfield, Connecticut, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with hate crimes for allegedly raising a flag bearing two swastikas and a Star of David above a New York University building during the school’s commencement ceremony in May.
Police arrested Alexander Stepnowsky on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Prosecutors charged him with one count of hate crime burglary, two counts of aggravated harassment, and one count of criminal trespassing as a hate crime.
The flag flew above NYU’s Steinhardt building during the May 13 graduation ceremony. NYU named the building for Jewish philanthropists Michael and Judy Steinhardt.
Stepnowsky pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday. A judge released him without bail.
NYU spokesperson Wiley Norvell condemned the incident. “The symbols that were represented are antisemitic and hateful to every person of conscience,” Norvell stated. “This appalling act violated our sense of community and solidarity.”
The university said it would pursue disciplinary proceedings alongside the criminal case and seek the most severe penalties available.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It, a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent. Download it today on the Apple App Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it.
