Police investigate another possible hate crime at UW-Whitewater

Police in Whitewater are investigating another possible hate crime on the university campus.

Authorities said a female freshman was walking on the north side of campus on the evening of Nov. 7 when two white males approached her. One of them pushed her into a fence and held her there. He let her go after making a derogatory remark about her perceived sexual orientation.

The report follows another recent incident in which a woman was punched in the face on campus while wearing a T-shirt that said “Legalize gay.”

The State Journal reported that police do not believe the two assaults are linked.

UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard J. Telfer issued a statement saying that bullying and hate crimes would not be tolerated on campus or in the local community.

“UW-Whitewater is a place that values all people,” he said. “This incident goes against everything that we stand for as a campus.”

In addition to conducting an exhaustive investigation, UW-Whitewater police will provide an increased presence on campus, Telfer said.

“I am also working with student leaders and faculty and staff to develop strategies for combating this type of behavior,” Telfer said. “I encourage all students, faculty and staff to be proactive in putting an end to this type of hurtful and destructive behavior.”

The Walworth County Sheriff’s Department has created a composite picture of the attacker in the Nov. 7 incident.