The Hanover Police and Safety and Security are investigating a string of anti-Semitic slurs repeatedly discovered on a student's door in Topliff residence hall over the past two weeks.
At 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning, a Topliff resident discovered the slur "KKK, Kill Kosher Kykes" written with a dry-erase marker on the message board of Charles Gussow '01 -- the undergraduate advisor of first-floor Topliff.
On Tuesday, Gussow returned from his morning class to find the phrase "Hitler was a great man" written on his board. On Saturday, Oct. 30, two other Topliff residents discovered the slur "Jews Suck" on Gussow's board.
Following the discovery in October, Gussow -- who is Jewish -- contacted Safety and Security, who began investigating the incident.
Safety and Security notified the police on Tuesday after the discovery of the second incident, and both departments are currently conducting independent -- though cooperative -- investigations.
No suspects have been charged in the incidents, and it is not yet determined whether the three incidents are related.
Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone said that detectives from his department met with Gussow yesterday and are currently generating "a list of suspects." They also took the message board into custody as evidence.
According to Giaccone, the written statement "Kill Kosher Kykes" is classified as "criminally threatening behavior" and can be prosecuted by state law.
He added that the other two slurs fall under a special offense statute, which could be turned over to the New Hampshire Attorney General's office and prosecuted as a civil rights violation.
Dean of the College James Larimore said that if the incidents are related and were written by a student, they can be adjudicated by the College as a violation of Standard II of the Dartmouth Community Standards of Conduct.
The Standard prohibits harassment, "defined as abusive behavior or conduct that is targeted at an individual or group and is ordinarily repeated."
"At this point we do need to find out who is responsible... this violates our hopes and expectations" of membership in the Dartmouth community, he said.
Larimore added that he was made aware of the Oct. 30 incident shortly thereafter, and urged Gussow to file a report with Safety and Security.
Larimore said he has not met with any possible suspects and said he did not know if detectives from Safety and Security had either.
Sergeant Rebel Roberts could only confirm last night that Safety and Security is currently investigating the matter.
After yesterday's incident, Gussow blitzed the residents of the first floor of Topliff, which include his UGA group, to alert them of the recent incidences and to ask them to be on the watch for any suspicious activity.
Gussow said he still feels safe in his room, but is hoping that the police and Safety and Security are able to identify a suspect soon.
"I'm not going to let some wacko ruin my life," Gussow said. "I've never felt uncomfortable because of my religion at Dartmouth... Obviously there is no one -- besides who did this -- who is going to think is acceptable."
This is not the first act of anti-Semitism of its kind in the College's recent history.
Last April, an anonymous mailer sent pamphlets containing long cartoon strips to several community leaders -- including Rabbi Edward Boraz and then-Student Assembly President Josh Green '00 -- which depicted a rabbi going to hell for not accepting Jesus Christ.
In February 1998, a Star of David with the phrase "Death to You" was found written on the door outside of the Channing Cox apartment of three Jewish students.
Christen Einsiedler '00, the area coordinator for the Topliff/New Hampshire cluster, said she and her staff are attempting to maintain a sense of community on the first floor, where she lives along with Gussow.
"We want a formal apology from whoever did it," Einsiedler said. "And we want them to stay away from our hall."
Senior Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson said the Dean's office has taken steps to ensure safety on the hall.
Nelson also said that in the past, cases involving similar types of harassment have been met with adjudication by the College's disciplinary system.
"Individuals have been held accountable for these actions in the past, and they will continue to be held accountable," he said. "The sentiments expressed in those messages are reprehensible, hurtful and totally unacceptable in any kind of community."
