Posted on 03/18/2004 3:49:49 PM PST by nobody_knows
Police: Prof. faked hate crime Witnesses say Dunn vandalized own car
By MELISSA PINION-WHITT, STAFF WRITER
CLAREMONT - A Claremont McKenna psychology professor vandalized her own car last week and falsely reported the damages as a hate crime against her, police said Wednesday.
Kerri Dunn, who spoke at a free speech seminar March 9, reported to police after the lecture that her car had been vandalized - tires slashed, windows broken and spray painted with racial epithets. Police, however, say two witnesses have come forward claiming they saw Dunn vandalizing her own vehicle.
The incident prompted all five of the Claremont Colleges to cancel classes March 10 for teach-ins and rallies against hate crimes. More than 1,000 people attended an evening rally at Claremont McKenna, where students pushed for racial and ethnic tolerance and Dunn was one of the speakers.
"Very admirably, the college community came together," Claremont McKenna President Pamela Gann said. "But to have within the community someone who is part of the investigation and questioned is repulsive to the values of the community."
Along with the vandalism, Dunn reported $1,700 in property missing from her car. The epithets on Dunn's car included derogatory remarks about blacks and Jews.
Police said Wednesday that Dunn could be charged with filing a false police report but said it was unlikely that she would be charged herself with a hate crime.
Dunn could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
"As far as we have been able to determine, the only possible charge - unless the District Attorney knows something we don't know - would be filing a false police report, which is a misdemeanor," Claremont police Lt. Stan Van Horn said.
Dunn's contract with Claremont McKenna ends in June, but administrators will consider whether she should continue teaching at the school.
"No decision has been made at this time," Gann said.
Gann said the college will honor its agreement to pay for a rental car for Dunn so that she can drive to work. The college has offered to pay for the car repairs.
Police said Dunn - who is not in custody - is unlikely to be arrested unless prosecutors file more serious charges against her.
The two witnesses, who are friends of a Claremont McKenna student, reported the vandalism to the student and then went to the college dean, police said.
"As soon as these witnesses came forward and talked with the dean, the dean called us and we met with the witnesses and the dean right away," Van Horn said.
The vandalism came after a series of race-related incidents at the colleges over the past few months, including a cross-burning at Harvey Mudd College in January.
The cross-burning, which also prompted rallies and demonstrations, was determined to have been the work of drunken students who claimed they didn't realize that burning a cross had racial significance.
Despite the fear and anger felt by students and other members of the community over the vandalism, Dunn won't likely be charged with a hate crime, police said.
"It has to be directed toward an individual or a specific group of individuals, so this doesn't meet the criteria for a hate crime," Van Horn said.
Gann said that while Dunn's apparent role in the incident came as a shock and surprise to the community, she agreed with the Police Department.
"The police came to the conclusion that it was not a hate crime, so we will not call it a hate crime," she said.
The FBI, which helped investigate the crime, also agreed that the incident is not a hate crime.
"We were involved because of the potential for this being a civil rights violation," said Laura Bosley, spokeswoman with the FBI. "If she, in fact, fabricated the entire story, there's no hate crime."
Dieter Dammeier, an attorney for the Claremont police union, said however that Dunn could be charged with a hate crime.
"Other people saw it and the whole idea behind (the law) is to stop the public dissemination of such hatred," he said.
The issue of freedom of speech also comes into play, though, he added. Dunn may not be charged with a hate crime if her intent was not to express personal hate against blacks and Jews.
Dunn's sister, Colleen, a New Jersey resident, declined to comment on her sister's case, saying only: "She's wonderful."
Dunn has had a few minor brushes with the law while living and working in Nebraska. Dunn attended the University of Nebraska and taught at Nebraska-Wesleyan University in 2001. There was no record of disciplinary action against her at Nebraska-Wesleyan University, said Sara Olson, spokeswoman with the college.
Dunn was arrested by the Lincoln Police Department on September 29, 2000 on suspicion of shoplifting, possessing stolen property, refusing to comply with a police officer's orders among other charges, records show. All of the charges, which are misdemeanors, were dropped except for the shoplifting charge. She was found guilty and fined $200, according to criminal records.
In September 1999, Dunn was cited on suspicion of driving on a suspended license and failing to appear for a court hearing. She was found guilty of the first charge and paid a $50 fine, records show.
Staff writer Mira Katz contributed to this story.
Melissa Pinion-Whitt can be reached by e-mail m_pinion-whitt@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-9378.
The Star Trek movie that shoulda been; IMHO!
Will there be any teach-ins and rallies for truth and virtue in teaching?
I think it was Harcourt Fenton Mudd, AKA Harry Mudd. He was a piece of work, wasn't he?
That's not the impression I get.
"Very admirably, the college community came together," Claremont McKenna President Pamela Gann said. "But to have within the community someone who is part of the investigation and questioned is repulsive to the values of the community."
Sure, that's a bunch of incomprehensible babble but it almost sounds like Gann believes that the questioning of Dunn is repulsive. I dunno.... Like I said, incomprehensible babble.
"The police came to the conclusion that it was not a hate crime, so we will not call it a hate crime," she (Gann) said.
Gann said the college will honor its agreement to pay for a rental car for Dunn so that she can drive to work. The college has offered to pay for the car repairs.
Now, does it sound like they are anxious to wash their hands of Dunn, or does it sound like Gann and Claremont are trying to make excuses for this psycho so they can keep her around? You know, give the poor misunderstood soul another chance?
One wants to save us from the environmental destroying scum, who selfishly don't have the good sense not to drive SUVs. And, the other one wants to save spoiled rich white college kids attending pricey schools such as the Pomona colleges--from not understanding the "terrible scourge of a non-existent racism."
Given, that I graduated in Engineering with a degree from Cal Poly in '82'. This after transferring from a Community College because I didn't qualify for a "diversity scholarships/grants, which must've been my penance for being a member of the "white priviliged" class--some would think I wouldn't know any of these types
. Hmmm! Well after working over 15 years at JPL, (owned and managed) by CalTech. I'll assure you these two are a "dime a dozen"
The differences, between these two and those who are of their same ideological bent is only a matter of degrees.
The mindset is really not all that different!
As the president of an alumnae club, I recently got a desperate email from a student looking for alumnae support to overturn this nonsense.
What you do is overturn your checkbook and tell the college to drop dead when they come around for money.
This is what I finally had to do with my alma mater, Penn State. That place has been taken over by the homos, lesbians, and creeps, all with the blessing of the goofball university president.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.