Antisemitic vandalism targeted members of the Sigma Beta chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) in Santa Barbara, Calif., over the weekend, when two individuals broke into a private residence where fraternity members live and defaced a bathroom mirror with a swastika drawn in shaving cream.
Jonathan Pierce, chief communications officer for AEPi, told JNS the house was broken into after a social event, and that the residence is privately owned and not an official fraternity house. He said previous incidents have occurred at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the administration needs to do “a better job of protecting students.”
“Luckily, nobody’s hurt,” he said. The image was discovered early Saturday morning, Jan. 10.
In a statement provided to JNS by Pierce, the chapter stated that “this was not random,” calling it “a deliberate act meant to intimidate Jewish students and to single out AEPi for who we are and what we stand for. Let us be clear: It will not succeed.”
“Acts of hate will only strengthen our resolve to live openly and confidently as Jewish students on campus,” the statement said, noting that members contacted law enforcement and university officials following the incident.
The Anti-Defamation League said this “marks at least the fourth time since November that the house and its members have been targeted with antisemitic hate.”
“The swastika is a symbol of hate and terror, and its use to intimidate Jewish students in their own home is reprehensible,” the ADL said, promising to work with law enforcement, the fraternity and the university “to address this incident and prevent future acts.”
The fraternity said it will work “in partnership with the ADL and our international headquarters to bring meaningful educational programs to the UCSB community,” including “programs focused on combating antisemitism, fostering understanding, and breaking down the barriers of ignorance and hate.”
It called on the university “to take concrete, visible action to ensure the safety and well-being of all students, including Jewish students who are being explicitly targeted.”
