Posted on 03/19/2004 6:41:48 AM PST by Jakarta ex-pat
Police are accusing a California college professor of vandalizing her own car, then reporting it as a hate crime.
The car, in a Claremont College parking lot near Los Angeles, had slashed tires and had been painted with racist and sexist words.
Police said the owner, visiting psychology professor Kerri Dunn, is the culprit. Lt. Paul Cooper said two witnesses saw Dunn drive into the lot with the graffiti already on the car, then get out and slash the tires.
Dunn had said it happened while she was speaking at a forum on racism. The incident prompted campuswide rallies and the offer of a reward.
Dunn's lawyer said the accusation has damaged her reputation and emotional health. Claremont McKenna College's president said Dunn is an excellent teacher.
Police are forwarding their findings to the district attorney.
Shhhhhh.
Schools are no longer a place of education. The church is no longer a place of worship. And the west is no longer a place of enlightenment.
In a nutshell, it's all over.
..another Churchill quote "Man usually trip over the truth, many walk away unfettered."
Police: Prof. faked hate crimeDespite 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.
And I don't know why people like you are drawn to that sort of friends.
(grin - sorry, just kidding - couldn't resist ribbing you.)
It should 'damage' her physical freedom for the same term as the maximum that would be allowed for someone commiting the 'hate crime' against her.
Click keyword "Kerri Dunn" at beginning of this thread.
There are about 6 related articles posted at FR.
There are also interesting comments on the message boards of the school at CMCStudents.com
One student blog, who has posted an MP3 file of Dunn's Rally speech, also has interesting info on Dunn. She was raised in Nutley, NJ..... original home of Martha Stewart! LOL.
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