Students charged with hate crime after 'religiously motivated attack' on Jewish fraternity
Two Syracuse University students are accused of attacking a Jewish fraternity with a bag of pork, an unclean meat in Judaism.
The university condemned the attack as 'abhorrent,' and confirmed the students would be referred for disciplinary review.
Two Syracuse University students are facing hate crime charges after allegedly targeting a Jewish fraternity with pork during Rosh Hashanah, raising new concerns about rising anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Police say Samuel Patten and Kyle Anderson planned the Sept. 23 attack on Zeta Beta Tau, a historically Jewish fraternity.
Patten reportedly entered the house during a holiday dinner and hurled a plastic bag of pork before fleeing to Anderson’s car.
Syracuse.com reports that the Onondaga County district attorney confirmed both students were charged with burglary as a hate crime and criminal nuisance. The act was described as a “religiously motivated attack,” noting that Jewish law forbids the consumption of pork.
The New York penal code defines burglary as knowingly entering unlawfully in a building with the intent to commit a crime. The code also defines a “hate crime” as an intentional offense against a person based on the religion, race, age, ancestry, or other defining characteristic of the victim.
The bag reportedly burst, covering parts of the house with pork remnants.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said the attack would not be dismissed as a prank.
“It will be treated for what it is,” Fitzpatrick said, ”a crime directed against a group of Jewish students enjoying a celebratory dinner and seemingly secure in their residence.”
[RELATED: Anti-Israel faculty groups blamed for surge in campus anti-Semitism]
Syracuse University condemned the incident in a campus-wide statement, calling it “abhorrent” and confirming the students had been referred to the Office of Community Standards for disciplinary review.
The arrests follow a wave of anti-Semitic incidents across U.S. campuses in the wake of geopolitical and social conflicts. Universities are becoming flashpoints for harassment against Jewish students, even as schools continue to funnel resources into DEI offices that often ignore anti-Semitism.
Zeta Beta Tau, founded as a Jewish fraternity, has historically been a target for anti-Semitic harassment on college campuses. Members say they were celebrating what should have been a peaceful holiday dinner when the Sept. 23 attack occurred.
