FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Two men were arrested by the Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) on June 27 for reportedly vandalizing two doors on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville with racist statements and a swastika.
Maxwell Winters and Evan Wright —both 21— are facing charges of criminal mischief and criminal trespassing after allegedly entering the U of A's Old Main building and carving the word "gay," a large X, and a swastika on one door, while also writing "Stereotypes r fun, racism is for the win!" and a smiley face on another door.
In a U of A Police Department (UAPD) report, officials confirm they identified Winters and Wright after reviewing security camera footage from inside the building.
According to the University of Arkansas Police Department (UAPD), a staff member first found the two faculty doors in the College of Arts and Sciences Fulbright Dean's office vandalized on June 6.
In a June 10 statement, Dr. Najja Baptist, the Director of the African and African-American Studies Program, said, "I am writing to you today with a heavy heart regarding the appalling events that transpired in the Dean's office on June 6. We stand in solidarity with the Fulbright Dean's office. The defacement and vandalism that occurred are not only deeply disturbing but also utterly unacceptable in our community."
Dr. Baptist said the actions were not just hateful but also "a direct assault on the values of diversity, inclusion, and respect that we hold dear in the AAST community," Baptist said. "We, as a program, stand firmly against any form of discrimination, hate speech, or acts of violence. Such behavior has no place in our academic community and goes against everything we strive to uphold."
"Let us use this unfortunate event as a catalyst for positive change and reaffirm our commitment to building a community that celebrates diversity, promotes inclusivity, and values respect for all," Baptist said.
Previous Report:
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.