At Columbia University, a football player is accused of a hate crime after he allegedly assaulted and threatened an Asian student with racial slurs: Columbia University Football Player Charged With Hate Crime.
The victim, a 19-year-old Asian student was leaving a dorm with two female friends when the suspect, defensive lineman Chad Washington, heckled the women. When the victim tried to defend his friends, Washington followed him, called him racial slurs, and shoved him against a wall.
Washington now faces a misdemeanor charge of aggravated harassment as a hate crime:
The 19-year-old victim, who is Asian, told police he was leaving a dorm with two female friends on West 113th Street early Sunday when the suspect and his friends began heckling the women, according to law enforcement sources.Washington's defense attorney adamantly denies that his client committed a hate crime and that "he will be vindicated." So what, he just happened to be uttering racial slurs as he was assaulting the Asian guy?
When the victim tried to defend his friends, the suspect, identified as Chad Washington, allegedly called him slurs and started following him.
Washington then pushed him against a wall and grabbed him by his collar, the victim told police.
Washington may have been with at least four other people. Police are investigating whether they participated in the harassment.
After news of the incident hit campus, student-run radio station WKCR compiled a set of tweets made by Washington and several of his teammates with racist and homophobic content -- unrelated to the arrest, but it certainly doesn't help Washington's case. Vindicated? You're going to have to try a little harder.
More here: Football player charged with hate crime, students shocked by several players’ offensive tweets.