Northwestern Frosh Charged With Hate Crime For Spray-Painting Swastikas, 'Trump' In Chapel

By Mae Rice in News on Mar 14, 2016 2:52PM

Anthony Morales, 19 (left) and Matthew Kafker, 18, defaced a Northwestern chapel Friday (photo via the Cook County sheriff's office)

Two Northwestern freshmen vandalized a campus chapel early Friday morning, spray painting the premises with a swastika, a slur against black people, the word “Trump,” and a lot of penises, according to authorities.

Anthony Morales, 19, and Matthew Kafker, 18, will face charges of criminal damage to property, institutional vandalism and hate crime in a place of worship for defacing Northwestern’s non-denominational Alice Millar Chapel. They are currently being held on $50,000 bail.

“These allegations are disgusting to me,” Judge Peggy Chiampas said in their bond court hearing. “I don't know if any of you know how lucky you are to be at Northwestern University.”

The two men allegedly snuck into the Evanston campus chapel at about 12:45 a.m. on Friday, and proceeded to spray paint throughout the chapel, including in its stairwell (where the “Trump” graffiti was found) and in the offices.

They also spray painted a penis on the chapel organ.

“Northwestern is committed to creating a safe, secure and welcoming environment for all of our students, faculty and staff,” Northwestern President Morton Schapiro said in an email to the students, according to the Daily Northwestern. “This disgusting act of hatred violates the deepest values and core commitments of our University and is an affront to us all.”

This vandalism happened the night before a Donald Trump rally was slated to take place at UIC Pavilion. That rally was ultimately cancelled, though, due to “safety concerns.”