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FBI called about anti-gay, racist messages at Pa. college

FBI called about anti-gay, racist messages at Pa. college

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — A central Pennsylvania college has called in the FBI and increased security in some residence halls after a series of anti-gay and racist remarks were left on dormitory message boards.

Elizabethtown College says it’s learned of more than a dozen incidents since the beginning of February about anti-gay and racist remarks being written on message boards that hang on dorm-room doors.

School spokeswoman Amy Mountain told the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era newspaper that one of the racist messages used the word “kill.”

She says the school has asked the FBI to evaluate whether any of the messages constitute federal hate crimes. The school has also pursued disciplinary action. Fountain declined to provide details, citing student privacy.

Students and faculty have begun organizing events aimed at denouncing the hateful incidents, standing up for victims and increasing awareness about diversity.

“We will not stand for this as a community,” said Stephen Boyhont, a junior from Lititz who is vice president of Allies, the college’s Gay/Straight Alliance.

The private college about 20 miles southeast of Harrisburg has nearly 2,000 students.

Associated Press contributed to this report.
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