During the evening of Sept. 25, an email was sent to Weber State University regarding a swastika carved into a table in the atrium of the Shepherd Union. The symbol, which is a notorious nazi and antisemitic symbol, was found on Yom Kippour, a Jewish Holiday.

The university took the matter very seriously and the table was quickly removed. WSU did not find any evidence of any other tables that had been defaced.

However, this incident occurred just three months after another incident of racist graffiti was found in the same building. In June, students reported that the words “white power” were inscribed into an elevator panel.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2022 there were six incidents of antisemitic harassment and five incidents of antisemitic vandalism. Though the Deseret News reported just one month ago that Utah is currently considered one of the safest places for Jewish people as hate crimes rise in other places, this incident should still be taken seriously.

According to the Department of Justice, there has been a steady incline in the amount of hate crime incidents based on race/ethnicity and religion since 2019.

Though the vandalism has been removed, WSU has been on the lookout for other discriminatory graffiti or incidents. Students are urged to report any incidents of racism, antisemitism or other forms of discrimination to faculty.