This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Two off-campus University of Michigan fraternity houses were vandalized with homophobic and antisemitic symbols. The Ann Arbor Police Department believes the event occurred sometime on the evening of July 17.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, AAPD said they are actively investigating the incidents and are working on a list of possible suspects and motives for the crimes.
“This vandalism consists of homophobic and antisemitic symbols, including a swastika at one of the locations,” the email read. “The Ann Arbor Police Department takes hate motivated crimes very seriously. Hate has no place in the City of Ann Arbor.”
In a statement to the campus community, University President Santa Ono denounced the vandalism and reaffirmed the University’s commitment to creating a welcoming campus environment for students of all identities.
“The university condemns these acts of vandalism, which included broken windows and spray-painted messages that are vile, homophobic and antisemitic,” the statement read. “These types of incidents are in direct conflict with the university’s deeply held values of respect and inclusion and have no place within our campus community or in the broader Ann Arbor community.”
In an email to The Daily, University Spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen said the houses are not currently occupied and the incident was reported by the property management company.
Summer Managing News Editors Mary Corey and Madison Hammond can be reached at mcorey@umich.edu and madihamm@umich.edu.