The Onondaga County District Attorney’s office is pressing hate crime charges against two Syracuse University students after they allegedly threw pork inside a Jewish fraternity house as members were observing the religious holiday Rosh Hashanah.
Syracuse Police said fraternity members at the Zeta Beta Tau house were inside around 6 pm Tuesday when 18-year-old Samuel Patten allegedly stepped into the foyer, tossed the meat, and fled to a waiting vehicle. Police tracked them down and arrested Patten as well as 18-year-old Kyle Anderson.
Both men were arraigned Wednesday morning on state charges of Burglary in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime and criminal nuisance. The burglary charge is elevated when it is motivated by bias against someone based on their race, religion, or other characteristics.
In a release, DA Bill Fitzpatrick said the incident is not a foolish college prank and will not be treated as such.
“It will be treated for what it is, a crime directed against a group of Jewish students enjoying a celebratory dinner and seemingly secure in their residence,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’ll leave to other professionals the effort to seek out what sort of mental state would lead one to be of a mind to find this activity acceptable or amusing.”
Fitzpatrick said he plans on meeting with the young men of Zeta Beta Tau and seeking their input before pursuing the case.
In an email to the Syracuse University community, Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves said the students involved have been referred to Community Standards pursuant to the Student Conduct Code. Pending the outcome of an investigation, he said they will face appropriate disciplinary action.
“[Tuesday] night’s incident as reported to us is abhorrent, shocking to the conscience and violates our core value of being a place that is truly welcoming to all,” Groves said. “It will not be tolerated at Syracuse University.”
