Two Arrested In Ewu Graffiti Incident Pair Accused Of Damaging Cars In Addition To Racist Markings
Police arrested two men suspected of writing “racist and vulgar graffiti” about African Americans inside an Eastern Washington University dormitory.
The men, both white, face charges of first-degree malicious mischief.
They are William D. Lorenson, 21, of Seattle, and Scott C. Smith, 22, an EWU student.
Last Saturday at about 3 a.m., police received reports of people damaging vehicles near Louise Anderson Hall on campus, Cheney Police Chief Greg Lopes said.
Two intoxicated men were taken into custody, Lopes said. One was found with marker pens and a hood ornament in his pocket, Lopes said.
The men were walking on cars and breaking sunroofs, and they caused $2,800 worth of damage to two cars, police said. Damage estimates were pending on four other damaged cars.
As the men were being arrested, reports came from a dormitory regarding racist markings in a residence hall. The markings contained slurs against African Americans. The graffiti was on several doors and in a public hallway, said Stefanie Pettit, an EWU spokeswoman.
On Tuesday, EWU President Stephen Jordan released a statement calling the racist graffiti “reprehensible.”
“We find this sort of behavior harmful to the entire community and totally outside the bounds of the civil discourse we promote at the university,” Jordan said.
Nancy Nelson, director of the university’s African American education program, hosted one of several roundtables Thursday for students who wanted to talk about the incident.
When Nelson heard about the graffiti, she didn’t know whether it was an isolated incident or an organized effort by a known hate group.
“I felt very shaken and very disturbed and somewhat frightened,” Nelson said.
When she learned more about the case, it seemed to be an isolated incident, she said.
“Our university responded very quickly and very well,” Nelson said.
Meetings for students were planned at the dormitory and will continue as long as students need an outlet to talk about their feelings, Nelson said.
It’s important to process what’s happened as a group, she said.
“I see this campus as one big family, and when something happens to one family member, the whole family is affected,” Nelson said.