A female student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was punched in the face last week in what police are calling a hate crime.
The student was wearing a shirt that read “Legalize Gay” last Sunday night at 10 p.m. when she was approached by two unknown men who called her a “faggot,” and one of the men punched her in the face, according to a statement released by UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer.
Both men fled the scene after hitting the student.
Mary Beth Mackin, assistant dean of students at UW-Whitewater, said the men have not been identified or caught yet, but the Whitewater Police Department is offering a reward for any information in the case.
Telfer said in a statement the incident goes against everything which UW-Whitewater stands for and encouraged any students with information to come forward.
“UW-Whitewater is a place that values all people. This incident violates our campus mission and values,” Telfer said in a statement. “I have asked that our resources be used to help identify the assailants and I encourage anyone with information to contact the UW-Whitewater or City of Whitewater Police immediately.”
Physically the victim is doing OK after the assault, Mackin said.
If the two men who committed the crime are found and are UW-Whitewater students they will face disciplinary action from university as well the police department, Mackin said.
On campus, Mackin said, the number one reaction to the incident has been one of disbelief.
She added there is a real concern for the victim and the student body at as a whole, especially those students who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, transgendered or bisexual.
The news comes as the country has seen several well publicized youth suicides after they were bullied for their perceived sexual orientation.
These include a 13-year-old California boy who committed suicide after being harassed by classmates, as well as a Rutgers University freshman from Ridgewood, N.J., who jumped off the George Washington Bridge in New York after being videotaped by his roommate engaging in a sexual activity with another man.
