Two charged in racist graffiti incident in ECU dorm
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with racist graffiti and hate speech in one of East Carolina University's dormitories.
The graffiti was found scrawled on a stairwell wall in Jones Residence Hall around 4 a.m. on Nov. 1. Authorities said the message targeted African Americans and was written with a permanent marker.
After an investigation, Jack William Ramsey, 18, and Anthony David Madonio, 18, were charged with damage to personal property. ECU officials said neither are current or former ECU students.
ECU police worked with the FBI in reviewing security camera tape and interviewing dorm residents to identify the suspects.
The FBI helped determine whether or not the incident qualified as a hate crime, but ECU Police Chief Gerald Lewis said it was decided that the graffiti did not target a specific individual. The message was written in the stairwell on the second floor and not on any one student's door.
"Those are not East Carolina values and the university will not tolerate hate-filled acts that target groups or individuals and seek to intimidate them," said Chancellor Steve Ballard. "We will work toward a community that honors diversity as a basic value."
