Lewiston Officials Apologize After Beatings

The recent arrest of two Clarkston, Wash., teens for beating, among others, Asian college students prompted several Lewiston city officials to apologize to a crowd of international students at Lewis-Clark State College.

“The citizens of Lewiston are appalled at what happened,” Lewiston Mayor Gayle McGarry told about 35 students Wednesday.

“Because they seem to be targeting foreign students it seems to be racial,” said Naoki Tamizu, a foreign student who serves on the student senate.

Tamizu said he knows several students who have been harassed. They never tell police because of language difficulty, because of culture.

Police Chief Jack Baldwin said patrols around campus will be increased.

Lewiston Police Lt. Thomas Lee said that a third youth had been charged in connection with the rash of recent assaults, many of which have targeted Japanese college students.

Of the two Clarkston teens previously charged, he said one was in juvenile detention and the other was released to his parents.

For incidents involving foreign students, charges include felony malicious harassment because racial slurs were made during the alleged attacks.

The Japanese student who was assaulted on Friday night near Normal Hill Cemetery told officers he heard something like, “this is not a Chinese town,” during the beating.

But officers said that white victims also allegedly were assaulted by the same suspects. Officials believe that size may be a factor in the choice of victims.