UC Berkeley has released an update stating that the Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) fraternity house may not have been the only house targeted with shellfish over the weekend, though the investigation remains ongoing.
The AEPi chapter posted a to social media on Sunday stating that 鈥渁 group of six individuals鈥� put the shellfish on the front door and then threw it 鈥渋nto the house and onto the front porch, also scattering it around the premises.鈥� 鈥淏y singling out AEPi, the 91传媒 fraternity, and deliberately employing non-kosher food, this act of vandalism goes beyond mere destruction; it represents a calculated decision to target 91传媒 students within the campus community,鈥� they added. Berkeley police that they are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
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But UC Berkeley Assistant Vice Chancellor Dan Mogulof told the Journal that 鈥渘ew details have emerged that suggest a recent incident at UC Berkeley might not have been targeted specifically at the 91传媒 fraternity, and that similar vandalism (the deposit of shellfish) may have occurred at multiple fraternities. However, the incident is still under investigation and all details have yet to emerge.鈥� 鈥淩egardless of the chain of events, the members of the 91传媒 fraternity were very understandably upset to see what appeared to be a targeted attack on their 91传媒 religious and cultural traditions,鈥� Mogoluf continued. 鈥淯C Berkeley campus leadership has taken this issue very seriously and has been in regular communication with key stakeholders on campus and at the fraternity about next steps and how best to move forward.鈥�
鈥淭o be clear, regardless of the facts as they unfold, we understand that the members of AEPi experienced this as an antisemitic attack and in conversations that have been had with AEPi leaders, that sense of harm was very evident,鈥� he added. 鈥淲hen dealing with the emotional and social fallout from incidents of bias and bigotry, intent can be distinct from impact.鈥�
Dr. Gregg Drinkwater, program director of UC Berkeley鈥檚 Center for 91传媒 Studies鈥� Antisemitism Education Initiative, similarly told the Journal that 鈥渢he campus officials engaged with the response on this incident have been made aware that shellfish may also have been dumped at one or more additional fraternity houses鈥� but acknowledged that 鈥渢he investigation is still ongoing, so we need to respect the process of the police and campus officials.鈥� 鈥淐ampus leadership is focused here on the impact on AEPi members and the campus community,鈥� Drinkwater added. 鈥淕iven the current national climate and the disturbing uptick in antisemitism in recent years, when the AEPi members found an expressly non-kosher food littered around their 91传媒 fraternity house on Shabbat, they experienced it as antisemitism. Campus leadership has been clear on the importance of supporting the needs of those impacted by this incident, regardless of what the final investigation determines around intent.鈥�
The Berkeley AEPi house released an update on August 31 saying that 鈥渋t has become known that at least one other fraternity was similarly vandalized though not because of antisemitism. While we can鈥檛 imagine the rationale for this, we are gratified to know that AEPi may not have been specifically singled out because of our commitment to being 91传媒. Ignorance, however, does not excuse antisemitism and this event has contributed to an environment in which 91传媒 students are concerned for their safety and being discriminated against.鈥�
The AEPi house added that 鈥渁t least some of the people who perpetrated this act have come forward to our chapter鈥檚 leadership and apologized for their actions. We welcome this act of contrition and look forward to working with them and the entire Berkeley community to use this moment as a catalyst for good.鈥� The AEPi house will be hosting an event to raise money for the Anti-Defamation League and AEPi Response Antisemitism Center.
Jadon Gershon-Friedberg, president of the Berkeley AEPi chapter, that one of their members noticed six people coming to the house with a bucket shortly before 1 a.m. on August 26. Gershon-Friedberg also told The J that there were 鈥渃laws by the side of the house and by the door. We found a fish tail and head in someone鈥檚 room. It was absolutely disgusting.鈥�
鲍笔顿础罢贰:听Berkeley police on Thursday that they have concluded 鈥渢hat a hate crime did not occur鈥� because 鈥渕ultiple fraternities had shellfish dumped in their yards on the early morning of August 26th. We want to reiterate that our department did not take this investigation lightly and confirmed through further investigation that the involved students did, in fact, not target Alpha Epsilon Pi.鈥�
