STANFORD, CA – MAY 22: People walk by Memorial Church on the Stanford University campus on May 22, 2014 in Stanford, California. According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities by China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Stanford University ranked second behind Harvard University as the top universities in the world. UC Berkeley ranked third. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Two swastikas reportedly were found inside Stanford’s Memorial Church on July 27.
According to the university, the swastikas were drawn in black marker on the second floor of the church’s Round Room. The university believes that the swastikas could have been drawn during the July 4 weekend. The university said work is underway to repaint that section of the wall. The church opened in 1903.
“The swastika is a symbol of hate, an expression of anti-Semitism and intolerance that has no place anywhere on our campus,” Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne said in a statement. “We condemn this type of vitriol anywhere, but especially in our interdenominational Memorial Church, whose very purpose is to serve spiritual needs across our diverse community and help bring us together.”
Hillel at Stanford University said in a Facebook post that the organization appreciated the university quickly acting on the manner.
“If you are a student who wants to talk about this, the Hillel team is here for you,” the post read.
In January 2017, there were 17 instances of swastika graffiti on Stanford’s campus as well as flyers featuring swastikas.
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