acts of hate

SU student assaulted, called homophobic slur outside Syracuse bar, DPS says

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This is the first of at least 18 bias-related incidents to target the LGBTQ community.

By Sarah Alessandrinisenior staff writer

UPDATED: Dec. 17, 2019 at 10:40 p.m.

A Syracuse University student was physically assaulted and reportedly called a homophobic slur while outside a local bar Thursday, according to city and campus police. 

The student sustained an injury to his nose during the assault, SU’s Department of Public Safety announced in a bias incident report published Monday. The Syracuse Police Department is currently investigating the incident, which was reported to DPS on Saturday.

The student victim is 21 years old, SPD spokesperson Sgt. Matthew Malinowski said in an email Tuesday evening. The student told SPD officers that he got in an argument Thursday with another man in the rear alley of DJ’s On The Hill, a bar on Marshall Street. The argument occurred around 10 p.m. and escalated to a physical fight, Malinowski said.

The student did not call the police immediately after the incident, and sought medical attention for his injuries the next day. SPD officers met the student Saturday when they arrived to the 200 block of Euclid Avenue in response to a reported assault, Malinowski said.



SPD is investigating the assault for “potential bias motivation,” Malinowski said.

The verbal and physical assault is on of at least 18 bias-related incidents to occur on or near SU’s campus since Nov. 7. It is the first of the string of racist, anti-Semitic and bias-related incidents to involve hate speech directed toward the LGBTQ community. The 17 prior incidents have targeted black, Asian, Jewish, indigenous and Latino people. 

DPS described the suspect as a blond, thin male who was wearing a peacoat at the time of the assault. It is unclear whether the individual is affiliated with SU, according to DPS. The bias incident report did not name DJ’s On The Hill as the location of the assault.

DPS published the report on its new Bias Incident Reports webpage Monday night. The webpage was created in response to the demands of #NotAgainSU, a black student-led movement protesting the university’s response to racist incidents on campus. The students demanded that DPS alert the campus of bias-related incidents within 48 hours. It is unclear exactly when the Saturday assault was reported to DPS. 

This post was updated with additional reporting. 





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