This morning, the Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) reported an ongoing investigation of another racially-biased related harassment against an Asian-American female. This is the third racially motivated case of harassment that has occurred in September.
At 11 a.m. on a day between Sept. 18 and Sept. 22, two unknown males stopped their vehicle on Jessup Road and started walking toward an Asian-American female student. According to CUPD Captain Randall Hausner ’85, racial epitaphs were used against the student. Though there was no physical contact, Hausner described the event as extremely intimidating for the female student.
The male offenders returned to their vehicle and left the area.
The incident was not reported until last Friday and the victim could not remember exactly which day that it had occurred by the time it was reported, Hausner said.
“I classified this as a bias related offense, taking the climate that has evolved in the community since the sexually related offense [against an Asian-American female] on the 16th as well as what happened [during the incident] into account,” he said.
Amy Wang ’02, secretary of the Asian Pacific Americans for Action (APAA), was appalled at the news of the latest assault.
“It really hurts to know that something like this could happen at Cornell,” she said.
Last Friday, the APAA and other minority groups held an informational session to increase awareness of hate crimes and the Sept. 16 assault.
“I think that Cornell should be ashamed that students are doing this,” Wang said.
The first racially motivated sexual assault on an Asian student occurred on East Avenue, near Goldwin Smith Hall early on the morning of Sept. 16. The victim was verbally harassed with a racial epithet from a passing vehicle immediately before the assault took place.
On the 22nd, four Asian female alumnae were verbally harassed with “Asian ethnic slurs” at the intersection of Central Avenue and Campus Road by a car of white males.
All three cases are under investigation and the CUPD thinks that they may be linked.
Archived article by Eve Steele