A black student has admitted to tagging a Michigan college with racist graffiti in an apparent hoax that prompted protests and outrage from school administrators, police said.
Albion Department of Public Safety and Albion College confirmed that a student was responsible for the April 2 graffiti vandalism that left the phrases “KKK,” “White Power,” and “Die N—— Please” on a university wall. The 21-year-old, who has yet to be named, was released after questioning on Tuesday, and possible charges will be left to the discretion of the Calhoun County Prosecutor’s Office once the investigation is complete.
“Earlier today, we identified the individual responsible for the racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in Mitchell Towers,” the university wrote in a Wednesday tweet. “The student, who was acting alone, acknowledged their responsibility for these incidents. They have been immediately removed from campus and placed on temporary suspension while we conduct a full investigation as part of our student judicial process.”
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Although police confirmed the suspect’s race and gender, the school initially did not. Instead, the 1,475-student liberal arts college 100 miles west of Detroit insisted in a statement that the acts were racist and rooted in the school’s history of “racial pain and trauma.”
“But we know the acts of racism that have occurred this week are not about one particular person or one particular incident,” Albion College wrote. “We know that there is a significant history of racial pain and trauma on campus and we are taking action to repair our community. We will change and heal together as a community, because we are committed to doing the work.
However, when pressed by the Washington Examiner, the school acknowledged it had identified a “student of color” as the perpetrator in the incident. The college added that information related to the offense was turned over to police.
“The individual responsible for the racist graffiti in Mitchell Towers is a student of color,” Albion College President Mathew Johnson said in a statement. “The student was immediately removed from campus and placed on temporary suspension while we conduct a full investigation as part of our student judicial process. All evidence has been turned over to law enforcement in cooperation with the ongoing criminal investigation. We do not have any additional information to provide at this time as the student judicial process and criminal investigation proceed.”
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, top brass at the college vowed to “stand with the black students” and “seek criminal charges against those involved.”
“We stand together with our Black students, alumni, faculty, staff and broader community members in condemning the recent acts of racism on campus,” the university wrote on Monday. “Hatred and injustice have no place at Albion, and will not be tolerated. We are currently investigating who is responsible for the racist graffiti in our residential buildings and we will seek criminal charges against those involved.”
Close to 200 students gathered in protest on Tuesday to stand against the supposed hate graffiti at the school. The co-eds at the time were crafting a list of demands to make the campus more inclusive.
“Let’s make it our home, instead of people feeling comfortable in this space to bring their racist mentalities,” senior Cedria Grant told the Battle Creek Enquirer.
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The Albion Department of Public Safety did not respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
