In a press release this morning, the Hanover Police Department announced that markings reported on Sept. 27 outside of a Jewish student’s room in New Hampshire Hall were “likely not a swastika.”
“The person that did the writing later came forward and confirmed they had written the word ‘HI’ with a heart over the I,” the Hanover police press release stated. “This was consistent with similar writing made in that same time frame.”
Senior vice president for community and campus life Jennifer Rosales added in an email sent to campus this afternoon that Safety and Security had reached the same conclusion in their investigation.
“Following thorough investigations by the Hanover Police Department and our department of Safety and Security, we are relieved to share that the marking reported on Sept. 27 was not a swastika as initially believed,” she wrote.
The “student’s report revealed that the marking was friendly writing which then became smudged in a way that gave the appearance of a swastika,” she continued.
The student contacted Safety and Security at 12:25 a.m. on Sept. 27 to report that someone had drawn a swastika, according to a copy of the incident form. The officer then contacted administrators and Safety and Security director Keiselim Montas.
College President Sian Leah Beilock announced during a Family Weekend event on Sept. 27 and in a campus-wide email later that day that an alleged swastika had been found the previous night. It was the second reported swastika in 10 days. On Sept. 29, Hanover police wrote that they “do not believe that the writing was a swastika,” after following up on the student’s report.
The first report — a swastika drawn on the ground outside of a Jewish student’s room in Topliff Hall on Sept. 17 — remains under investigation under New Hampshire law for criminal threatening, according to the press release. Rosales encouraged “anyone with information … to come forward,” as both Hanover police and Safety and Security investigations remain active.
Student leaders of the Rohr Chabad Center at Dartmouth and Hillel at Dartmouth declined to comment or did not reply.
Annabelle Zhang '27 is a reporter and editor from New Jersey. In the classroom, she studies Geography and Government modified with Philosophy and Economics. She enjoys creating recipes, solving puzzles and listening to music.
