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.
That, and also the deep seated need for attention.
As you well know, hoaxers always have helpers. You cited the college's chief facilitator. This "reporter," Mira Katz, is also a piece of work. She mentions "anger," but quotes only comically sympathetic voices.
And how about the ADL lady?! According to her logic, people must get post-traumatic stress syndrome from getting caught in the rain!
By MIRA KATZ, STAFF WRITER
CLAREMONT - Students and administrators at the Claremont Colleges said Wednesday that even if a professor vandalized her own car last week, there's still a good lesson in it.
While some students were staunch in their support for psychology professor Kerri Dunn and others were angry, most agreed that it caused the college community to examine larger issues of diversity on campus.
"The community's response Wednesday was to the climate of privilege and hate that exist on these campuses," said Pomona student Jeremy Schulman, 21. "But this climate did not begin or end with the vandalism to professor Dunn's car and we need to be sure to continue to confront these issues."
All five Claremont Colleges canceled classes March 10, after Dunn told police the night before that her car had been vandalized, racial slurs and obscenities spray painted on it, the tires slashed, windows broken and $1,700 of property stolen from inside.
Students rallied and demonstrated, and more than 1,000 attended an evening vigil at which Dunn spoke.
The epithets scrawled on Dunn's car targeted blacks and Jews. Dunn, who could not be reached for comment Wednesday, has described herself as Catholic converting to Judaism.
In recent months, officials at the colleges have investigated multiple reports of hate crimes - including a cross-burning and offensive graffiti.
Students are now on spring break.
Twenty-one-year-old Keith Miyake, a student at Harvey Mudd College, said Dunn must have been desperately trying to raise awareness of racial issues.
Miyake added that all of the letter writing, forums and discussions about diversity, race and ethnicity were ineffective.
Alison Mayersohn, associate director of the Anti-Defamation League, criticized Dunn's alleged behavior.
Hate crimes used as hoaxes victimize the community twice, she said.
"People are victimized and hurt and scared when the initial incident happens," she said. "And then if it is indeed true that she did this it repeats the victimization."
Dunn's teaching contract ends June 30, and based on the information from the police investigation, Claremont McKenna College will conduct a further investigation and decide whether to allow her to finish out her contract.
No decision has been made.
Mira Katz can be reached by e-mail mira.katz@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8551.
That is SO unfair.
"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.
That sound like at least two specific groups. I don't think the statute makes an exception just because the perp is in the targetd group.
The heck it wasn't!
You can bet that if white students faked hate crimes and pointed the finger at minorities they would be prosecuted, however.
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