The Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) house at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti on January 27.
The San Luis Obispo Tribune reported that the graffiti consisted of multiple swastikas and anti-Semitic statements on and in front of the house. Police are investigating the matter as a hate crime.
The AEPi chapter wrote in a February 7 Instagram post, “This was targeted at us, as the Jewish fraternity, and we would like the world to know we do not tolerate or condone this behavior. Our chapter and the entire San Luis Obispo Jewish community stand together proudly against those who are uneducated and who encourage hateful acts.”
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University officials said in a message to the community members, “We are struggling to comprehend the heinous nature of this crime, alongside our Jewish community. Let us be perfectly clear: behavior that promotes any form of hate and seeks to make members of our community feel unsafe and unwelcome — especially in their own home — has absolutely no place in our community.”
San Luis Obispo Hillel commended the university, law enforcement and the community at large for their support and praised the AEPi chapter other Jewish student leaders for being “calm, vigilant, and determined to make this blight into an opportunity to teach, dialogue with the larger community, and be a force of truth for good in the face of hate.”
AEPi CEO Jim Fleischer also addressed the matter in a statement.
“Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident on college campuses in North America and across the world,” Fleischer said. “The rising tide of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activity on college campuses is widespread and must be stopped. Universities are a place for the free and open exchange of ideas and Jewish students should not be made to feel unsafe in their homes on campuses.
“We applaud the university administration for their swift and strong statement and actions on this incident and will work with them to ensure that our Brothers at Cal Poly – SLO – and all Jewish students — are kept safe.”
The American Jewish Committee similarly tweeted, “We thank [University President Jeffrey Armstrong] for condemning the act, but the fight against antisemitism requires action in addition to forceful condemnation.”
Horrible!@CalPoly's @AEPi house was vandalized with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti over Shabbat.
We thank @CPPrezArmstrong for condemning the act, but the fight against antisemitism requires action in addition to forceful condemnation.https://t.co/eD4vZAD1Fz
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) February 8, 2021
Anti-Defamation League Santa Barbara also tweeted that the graffiti was “disturbing” and that “students should never feel unsafe on their campus and especially in their own homes.”
Disturbing to see the @AEPi fraternity at @CalPoly vandalized with multiple swastikas and antisemitic statements spray-painted on their house. Students should never feel unsafe on their campus and especially in their own homes. https://t.co/LRbw1Z79hX
— ADL Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties (@ADLSantaBarbara) February 8, 2021
According to Mustang News, the AEPi chapter also launched a GoFundMe to remove the graffiti and install a security camera; the leftover proceeds will be donated to Yad Vashem and the local Jewish Community Center in San Luis Obispo.
