Swastika drawn above dorm room of African-American student at Biola University

Amy Powell Image
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Swastika drawn above Biola University student's dorm room
A possible hate crime investigation was launched after a swastika was found drawn above the dorm room of an African-American student at Biola University in La Mirada.

LA MIRADA, Calif. (KABC) -- An investigation was launched after a swastika was found drawn above the dorm room of an African-American student at Biola University in La Mirada.

Biola officials said the swastika was drawn last week. The male student reported it to campus authorities on Monday.

"We have one goal here - one goal is to get in front of this and address it," said John Ojeisekhoba, chief of campus safety.

Students were notified by email on Tuesday.

"We just sat down, we prayed for the community as a whole, but I was really frustrated and a lot of tears and a lot of anger," said Grenisha Parker, a student.

Campus police are working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.

African-American students make up less than 3 percent of Biola's student body. Some say that has been a challenge.

"A lot of stuff has happened that kind of cuts to the core, and you're like, 'OK Jesus, where are you in this?' But this one is the hardest," Parker said.

Biola has about 45 percent non-white students. Officials say they're very concerned about race relations at the evangelical Christian university.

President Barry H. Corey, Biola's president, has spoken to students about the swastika incident.

"We must lament these actions that convey hate and discrimination which deny dignity to a child of God, created in His image as all of us are," Corey said, in part, in a statement released by the school.

Two meetings are slated to be held at the school on Thursday to address racial incidents on campus.