In response to the alleged hate crimes that occurred in Ogg Hall, University of Wisconsin Interim Provost Virginia Sapiro issued a statement Friday condemning the crimes.

UW Housing representatives also said they plan to meet with dormitory residents to discuss the incident and will attempt to increase the support and educational services they provide to UW students.

In her statement, Sapiro said, "[UW] strongly opposes discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, gender or political affirmation," and added "violent behavior toward others will not be tolerated."

The statement came a day after representatives of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Campus Center called on the UW administration to denounce the alleged hate crimes involving UW students.

Two UW freshmen, along with two friends who attend different universities, face a combined 17 felony hate crime charges after allegedly defacing the dorm hall door and bulletin board of an LGBT liaison in Ogg Hall Dec. 21.

The students allegedly wrote "I hate f-cking f-ggots! Die!" on the liaison's bulletin board, spit on the door and ripped down LGBT posters placed around it.

A UW Housing representative said "two or three" similar, though less severe, incidents occurred in Ogg last October and November.

Larry Davis, the assistant director of UW Housing, said a student scribbled "fag" on a residence hall door and another LGBT poster was repeatedly ripped down.

UW Housing Director Paul Evans said no change in the UW residence halls' security measures could have prevented such an incident.

"You hope residents don't do what this group of students did," he said.

According to Evans, security measures in residence halls currently include constant rounds by house fellows and police community liaisons as well as key-operated elevators.

Since the most recent incident, Davis said UW Housing representatives have met with the entire Ogg Hall staff to discuss what happened and what will happen in the aftermath.

Representatives said they also plan to meet with all the students in the LGBT liaison's residence hall "house," and are considering meeting with all residence hall students.

"We want to have a meeting to talk through what happened and where things are at," Davis said.

During a meeting with the two campus LGBT liaisons, Davis also said they would continue to offer support to LGBT students and attempt to further integrate LGBT issues into their educational services.

Davis said in two weeks UW Housing will begin to offer a series of diversity programs that will relate to sexual identity issues.

"We want to challenge all staff to integrate [LGBT issues] into their programs," Davis said.

Collete Montoya, one of the two LGBT liaisons on campus, used an example of a house fellow organizing a pajama party where the movie of the night was one that involved "serious LGBT issues."

"We want to get students accustomed to the fact that LGBT issues are a part of everyday life," Montoya said.

Both Montoya and Davis added that one of the most difficult tasks is getting students who are not already supportive of LGBT issues involved in the programs.

"A lot of LGBT allies get backlash from students for being too supportive," Davis said. "If you're so supportive, some students accuse you of being an LGBT yourself."

It is a thought process Davis said he hopes to put an end to with the services and programming provided by UW Housing.