SAN MARCOS, Texas — An arrest has been made after a student reportedly discovered racial vandalism on his car when it was parked inside a campus garage at Texas State University.
University Police Department Chief Matthew Carmichael said on Sept. 28, a Black freshman student found his car vandalized with a racial slur. The car was parked inside the Woods Street Parking Garage, located next to the Jones Dining Complex and across the street from San Jacinto Hall and The Tower residence hall.
Carmichael said an arrest was made on Monday, Oct. 14. The suspect was charged with criminal mischief, a state felony. The case is also under investigation by the Texas State Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX as well as the Student Conduct and Community Standards Office.
Carmichael said due to the ongoing investigation, no other details are available at this time.
“The University Police Department proudly serves an integral role in campus life as the university's main provider of safety and security for our faculty, staff, students and visitors,” Carmichael said in an email. “We remain dedicated to ensuring that every member of our Bobcat community feels safe, valued and respected.”
On Oct. 4, university President Kelly Damphousse issued a letter to the Texas State community, saying that the university's police department immediately began investigating after learning of the incident. Damphousse called the act "deeply disturbing" and said it goes against the university's core values.
Read Damphousse's full letter below:
“Dear Bobcat Family:
“As your president, it’s important to reaffirm that Texas State University treats acts of racial bias and hate with zero tolerance. Such acts, against even one member of our Bobcat community, affect us all. Thus, it is vital that hate crimes involving our campus community are addressed with the utmost seriousness and with immediate action.
“After receiving the recent report of a racial slur keyed into a student’s car, our University Police Department immediately launched a comprehensive criminal investigation. The case was also referred to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX for review. To preserve the integrity of this active investigation, I am unable to share additional details at this time, but I will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.
“This hateful act is deeply disturbing to me because it runs counter to what I know to be TXST’s core values. Our campus leaders, faculty, staff, and I remain committed to ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of every member of our university community. I have personally reached out to the victim of this attack, and I have also spoken with the president of the TXST NAACP student organization. I look forward to sharing more when the investigation is completed.”