Colorado U. investigate defacement of Israeli flag
By Jessika Fruchter
Colorado Daily (U. Colorado)
04/02/2002

(U-WIRE) BOULDER, Colo. — Despite criticism from a group of state legislators last week, CU police say they are and always have been seriously investigating the defacement of an Israeli flag on CU's campus.

Specifically, the legislators, led by State Sen. John Andrews, R-Centennial, said that defacement of the flag, along with other reported incidents of harassment experienced by CU's Jewish community, are not being investigated with the same urgency as were incidents of harassment against Arab and Muslim students in the wake of Sept. 11.

CU police deny the legislators' allegations, and claim that they are making progress in the case.

"We don't have a political agenda here," said Lt. Tim McGraw, spokesman for CU Police. "It's a crime to us and our job is to solve it. It's a pretty simple equation."

McGraw said in recent weeks investigators have had several suspects in the flag defacement. Those suspects have been cleared of involvement, but police say they continue to investigate the case.

McGraw called a confession letter delivered to the Colorado Daily two weeks ago - a letter in which the alleged confessor claimed to be Jewish — an "important indicator" in the case.

"There are significant similarities (between the handwriting in the letter and the handwriting found on the defaced paper flag)," McGraw said.

While the decision to classify the vandalism as something other than a hate crime has received substantial criticism from some members of CU and Boulder's Jewish community, McGraw said he stands by the decision.

McGraw said that the same CU detective who successfully investigated a case of verbal death threats left last fall on the voice mail of CU's Muslim Student Association — a case that led to the arrest of Richard Dale Ewell — is currently assigned to the flag defacement investigation.

Comparing this case to another high-profile hate crime case last fall, in which threatening messages against CU's Arab and Muslim communities were spray painted on the west face of Norlin Library, McGraw said "the two are apples and oranges."

"That was a form of ethnic intimidation. It was threatening," McGraw said of the Norlin Library case. "(The person who is claiming responsibility for this case) is a self-proclaimed Jewish guy who opposes Israeli policy. He didn't write that all Jews should go home."

McGraw said the charge in this case would be criminal mischief — a misdemeanor.

"We had seven hate crimes last year," McGraw said. "We know what they look like and we know they exist here, but we're not going to make one up when there isn't one."

Copyright ©2002 Colorado Daily via UWire

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