Swastikas Drawn Near Hospital and In 2 Dorms

George Washington University police are trying to determine who is responsible for drawing swastikas on two dormitory doors and at an outdoor site near its hospital during the past week, a university spokeswoman said yesterday.

Four swastikas were drawn on the dorm door dry-erase board of a Jewish freshman over several days; the most recent, and largest, was discovered Sunday morning, said spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard. Another swastika was discovered yesterday on the dry-erase board of a student in a different dorm.

GWU President Steven Knapp denounced the incidents, saying the placement of the swastikas "raises the possibility that this is an expression of hatred toward Jewish students."

University police investigating the incidents yesterday also discovered a few swastikas near George Washington University Hospital. Officials said the swastikas near the hospital were different from those found on campus, but they are continuing to investigate. The swastikas near the hospital were accompanied by political graffiti.

Robert G. Fishman, executive director of the university's chapter of Hillel, said GWU has long been a friendly environment for Jewish students. About one-third of the undergraduate students are Jewish, Sherrard said.

Fishman said that he initially thought the school was dealing with an isolated innocent but that now he's not so sure. "The fact that it occurred in another location indicates that it is not a personal vendetta," he said.

The appearance of swastikas at GWU comes amid a spate of racial and ethnic incidents on college campuses.

This month, posters that appeared to be anti-Muslim were posted on the GWU campus. The students who put up the posters said they had not intended to offend Muslims but to mock a conservative group.

At the University of Maryland, a rope tied into what looked like a noose was found last month outside the African American culture center. A noose was also discovered on the office door of a black Columbia University professor.