4 University of Rochester students arrested after 'wanted' posters targeted Jewish faculty
The felony complaints accuse each student of placing the posters on chalkboards, whiteboards, and walls around campus earlier this month.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Four students have been arrested and charged after hundreds of posters depicting several Jewish faculty members as "wanted" were found on the University of Rochester campus, school officials said.
Several dozen University of Rochester students, faculty, and supporters filled a courtroom Wednesday morning for the arraignment of Samantha Escobar, Naomi Gutierrez, Jefferson Turcios, and Jonathan Bermudez. The four were arrested by the university's Department of Public Safety on Tuesday and were held in the Monroe County Jail to await arraignment.
The students were all charged with second-degree criminal mischief — a felony, court records state. The charges stem from the alleged damage to the walls on campus.
University officials said they were made aware of the posters on Nov. 10 and immediately began removing them. The posters were found in buildings across campus, including classroom spaces, and caused damage to walls and other surfaces when they were removed, according to officials.
A criminal complaint makes no mention of the content of the posters, which accused some faculty members as "wanted" for being complicit in the deaths and displacement of Gaza residents during the Israel-Hamas war. Smaller text on the posters accused some of racism, hate speech, and links to war crimes.
The University of Rochester’s Jewish campus organization, Hillel, condemned the posters last week, stating they "disproportionately singled out Jewish faculty and staff and used language that spreads harmful, antisemitic ideas about Jewish people."
A different group, the student-run Jewish Voice for Peace, said the persons depicted on the posters "appear to be tied together not by religion or ethnicity but by their support of Israel's ongoing campaign in the Mideast."
Dressed in jumpsuits, the four students were brought in to face Rochester City Court Judge Charles Crimi. The large group of supporters filling the usually empty city courtroom watched in silence as each of them pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance.
Four charged with criminal mischief for 'wanted' posters
Second-degree criminal mischief, according to the four felony complaints, is when someone intentionally damages a person's property without any right to do so or any reasonable ground to believe they have the right, and when damage to the property exceeds $1,500.
The charge, if it results in a conviction for the students, could mean up to seven years in state prison, in addition to a fine of up to $5,000. The four felony complaints accuse each student of placing the posters on chalkboards, whiteboards, and walls around campus on Nov. 10 — resulting in damage to school property.
"The defendant and others participating in this crime were observed on CCTV intentionally spraying chalkboards and whiteboards with an unknown substance in spray bottles, affixing these 'Wanted' posters to these boards, then spraying overtop of the posters with an unknown aerosolized substance," the felony complaint states.
The complaint alleges that the posters were later found to be stuck with superglue or a "similarly strong and durable adhesive." This adhesive caused damage to the whiteboards, chalkboards, and walls during the removal process, the complaint states, resulting in the need for new replacement boards, resurfacing, and paint for the damaged walls.
A counterweighted chalkboard system was also damaged and will require a replacement, the complaint added. Replacement and repair costs for the damaged property exceed $6,000, but the total likely could be more once all bids from vendors are secured, according to the felony complaint.
President: Accused students face conduct review
The university's Department of Public Safety announced on Nov. 15 that five persons of interest were identified in connection with the "wanted" posters investigation.
On Tuesday, university public safety chief Quchee Collins said four students — later identified as Escobar, Gutierrez, Turcios and Bermudez — were arrested and charged with felony criminal mischief. A fifth person is still under investigation, Collins said in a news release.
Collins also noted that university investigators looked into whether the case could be treated as a possible hate crime at the state or federal level. Campus leadership, along with the local Jewish community and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, had condemned the posters as an act of antisemitism.
After the investigation and discussions with state and federal law enforcement authorities, Collins said the students' actions do not currently meet the legal threshold for a hate crime, despite being "targeted and biased." He said that may change over the course of future legal proceedings.
Sarah Mangelsdorf, the university president, said the school plans to hold those responsible accountable.
"In addition to the criminal justice process, the accused students will undergo the University’s conduct procedures," Mangelsdorf said in a statement released Tuesday following the arrests.
How are students and faculty responding?
The University of Rochester is among many colleges nationwide experiencing heightened tensions following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, campuses have seen a wave of anti-war protests, as well as an increase in hateful incidents.
Pro-Palestinian student protesters have accused university officials of censoring and penalizing them for calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and advocating for divestment from Israeli institutions. Last fall, students at several universities reported that administrators disrupted peaceful protests, linking pro-Palestinian activism to support for Hamas.
University of Rochester faculty member Sandra Boehlert expressed how the situation has created fear among professors on campus and the community.
"There's a lot of fear in this country, we need to work together and help each other in this fear," Boehlert said. "What I know about the campus of the University of Rochester is that no one has demonstrated any idea of violence, it's peaceful from what I've seen and heard."
Nora Goodman, a third-year undergraduate student, who is Jewish, showed up to the court with fresh baked Challah, a Jewish food item eaten on ceremonial occasions, offering it to students as they left the courtroom. Goodman said the university’s response to the posters was unprecedented and extreme.
“These posters are not antisemitic, the majority of people mentioned on them are not Jewish,” Goodman said. “I think the students understand how insane this all is, how unprecedented the university's response has been, and how they've been blatantly lying in their emails."
Sarah Lajitawi, a third-year student at the University of Rochester, said she was there to support her friends.
“These are people I’m very close to; they are hardworking students who care a lot about social justice, freedom, and equality for everyone,” Lajitawi said through tears while standing outside the court building.
Lajitawi is disheartened by the way the university has handled the situation, describing how its response has perpetuated hate on campus and divided students, in her view.
“From my experience and my friends' experience, who hold political views that support Palestine, they’re not getting the support they need when they're met with harassment because of this or even because of my identity,” Lajitawi said. “I am Palestinian, I can't turn that on and off; this is who I am, and I'm being attacked because of that, and there has been no consequences.”
Stanley Martin, a Rochester City Council member, was there to show her support for the students who were arrested. “I don’t know what comes next for these students, but seeing four young adults coming out in jumpsuits is absolutely ridiculous.”
Martin explained how she is an alumna of the university and is disappointed in the institution.
“The University of Rochester has chosen to prioritize profits and the voices of people in power over students whose parents assumed that they would be safe on campus,” Martin said.
Note: A slight adjustment was made in this story for the correct representation of someone's identity, and the story was re-published.
Contributing: Gary Craig and Kayla Canne; Rochester Democrat and Chronicle