In the past two weeks, there have been three separate incidents of anti-Semitic symbols appearing on USC's campus, most recently a white supremacist group hacked into printers on campus and at universities across the country to spread an anti-Semitic flyer.
Additionally, DPS reported two swastikas drawn on the walls of USC campus buildings. The first was reported on March 16 in Pardee Tower, a freshman dorm. The second report occurred over the weekend at Hoffman Hall, but the incident happened in February.
"People are a little uneasy," said Bailey London, the executive director of Hillel at USC. "It doesn't feel good to have your identity threatened and have violent statements stated against your identity."
DPS Deputy Chief David Carlisle said it is difficult to find the culprits of this type of crime. "It's always difficult if they're not seen in progress or there is some sort of video evidence," He said. "So most of the time? It's documented…but tough to solve that crime."
The national incident impacted schools across the country including Brown and Princeton. Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said this represents the first time a neo-nazi group has hacked universities' network in this way. Carlisle said there were more than half-a-dozen flyers found on the University Park, Health Sciences, and Sacramento campuses.
The flyer found at other campuses featured large black letters and read: "White men, are you sick and tired of the Jews destroying your country through mass immigration and degeneracy." It features two large swastikas.
Potok said the current political landscape has led to an uptick in hate speech, "I think what is going on is there is a great deal of excitement in the white supremacist world over the candidacy of Donald Trump. White nationalists, white supremacists around the country think Donald Trump is absolutely their man."
Despite the hateful symbols, London said she was comforted by the university's response to the incidents, "It's a horrible, horrible thing, but I can't feel more supported and comforted and safe."
Annenberg Media