The Ohio University Police Department, or OUPD, released a statement Thursday on recent investigations regarding hate crimes and racist misconduct on Ohio University’s Athens campus.
OUPD wrote in the statement it is “deeply concerned about four recent incidents and their detrimental impact on our community, especially our communities of color.”
The first incident involved a Black doll taped to a residence hall room door. This incident was shared on social media but was not reported to OUPD. OUPD is asking for the student affected by this incident to contact them to assist with an investigation.
The second incident occurred over the weekend in Sargent Hall, where a note containing racial slurs and misogynistic language was left on a bag of trash outside a residence hall room. The case was reported and currently remains under investigation.
The third incident occurred Monday when a male student urinated on the door of a Black resident assistant, or RA, in James Hall. The suspect, Brady Linkel, a pitcher on OU’s baseball team, was originally charged with public urination but has since been charged with criminal mischief, as the RA’s personal property was damaged.
OUPD said they were unable to establish a motive or reason the RA had been targeted specifically.
Wednesday afternoon, Christopher Brown, the RA in James Hall, told OUPD he received an anonymous Twitter message alleging a post made on Snapchat by an unidentified individual “wanted to see the victim lynched.” OUPD met with Brown, according to the statement, and the posts are currently being investigated further.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is encouraged to contact OUPD at 740-593-1911 or police@ohio.edu.
