Jewish fraternity at Temple University targeted by repeated vandalism and trespassing

A Jewish fraternity near the Temple University campus in Philadelphia has been repeatedly vandalized and trespassed on over recent months, with the most recent incident occurring on July 27, according to an alum and a statement by the administration last Friday.

Temple University President Richard Englert and Senior Vice President and Provost Gregory Mandel said the Alpha Epsilon Pi off-campus house had seen trespass and vandalism incidents twice in May and once again on the weekend of July 27.

Alum and media commentator Brian Hart reported on social media on July 27 that a group of young adults trespassed on the roof of the building and urinated into a rooftop access door. The incident was recorded by Temple University Public Safety as criminal trespass.

“Temple University and Philadelphia police officers were called to the residence again to respond to reports of individuals on the rooftop,” said Englert and Mandel. “Temple’s police officers and detectives are actively investigating these incidents as both a criminal and student disciplinary matter.”

At the beginning of May, “Free Palestine” was spray painted on the roof of the AEPi house, according to 6 ABC Action News. Hart wrote on X that three college-aged suspects were seen in security footage walking on the roof on May 24. In the footage, the suspects suggest drawing swastikas, and the ease of breaking into the house.

“AEPi identifies as a Jewish fraternity and there was evidence the incidents were motivated by antisemitism,” said Englert and Mandel. “Temple University does not tolerate antisemitic or other hate crimes, including vandalism and damage to property. Temple unequivocally condemns antisemitism and other acts of hatred, incitement to violence, threats, harassment and discrimination against any person.”

Under the rug

The administrators warned that if students were to be found involved, they would face disciplinary action in addition to criminal charges.

Hart accused the university of sweeping the issue under the rug until he brought the issue to the attention of local media, prompting the statement last Friday. The university had the security footage for more than two months.

“After sitting on this for a few weeks, they inexplicably punted it over to the PPD,” Hart said on X. “This reeks of the same old ‘PR over safety’ policy that has gotten people in the Temple community hurt and killed.”

Like many other American universities, Temple has fallen under investigation by the US Department of Education Office of Civil Right (OCR) for failing to respond to incidents of discriminatory harassment on the basis of Jewish ancestry. The OCR notified Englert of their intention to investigate the institution on January 16 after a student contacted the office about on-campus rallies in which anti-Israel groups chanted slogans such as “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”