Why won’t Columbia University release the noose security video?; Update: Associated Press got it wrong?; Update: NYDailyNews says Columbia “stonewalled;” Update:And now…anti-Semitic graffiti
Update 7:40pm Eastern. And now…anti-Semitic graffiti found in a Columbia bathroom stall:
Anti-Semitic graffiti was found on a bathroom stall in Lewisohn Hall earlier today, University officials reported. The incident occurred only two days after a noose was found hanging on the door of an African American professor at Teachers College and just over two weeks after Islamophobic graffiti was found in a bathroom stall in the International Affairs Building.
Dare I question the timing?
Must be all those evil racist Minutemen infiltrating campus, right?
Bathroom stalls and racist graffiti. Rings a dubious bell.
Update 6:55pm Eastern. Wow. This story gets ever more interesting. NYDN now reports:
After stonewalling cops for more than 24 hours, Columbia University has agreed to hand over security tapes that could help ID the person who left a hangman’s noose on a black professor’s office door.
The Ivy League school initially told cops they needed a subpoena to get a look at security tapes from Teachers College and the names of students in Professor Madonna Constantine’s classes.
Cops then spent hours putting together the legal paperwork and getting a judge to sign off on the court order around midnight last night, they said.
They were about to serve the subpoena on Columbia when the university flip-flopped – after getting media inquiries – and agreed to hand over 56 hours of tape.
“It’s unfortunate because it adds a time-consuming step to the investigation,” Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said of Columbia’s refusal to assist the investigation voluntarily.
Columbia spokeswoman Diane Dobry refused to answer questions about the delay, issuing a statement that said only: “We are giving the tapes to the police.”
Yup, looks like CYA.
Update: Weird things are afoot. This report says Columbia is giving the tapes over and that the Associated Press was wrong.
AP getting things wrong wouldn’t be surprising.
But CYA from Columbia wouldn’t be surprising, either.
Curiouser and curiouser.
***
I’ve been watching the noose-hanging story unfold at Columbia University with great interest. This does not surprise me:
Columbia University has refused to turn over security videotape that could help identify who hung a noose on a black professor’s office door, police said Thursday.
Investigators began asking on Wednesday for tapes from cameras in the building, but have been rebuffed by administrators, said Paul Browne, the New York Police Department’s top spokesman.
He said police will have to get a court order to force the school to provide video they believe could crack the case.
“It’s unfortunate because it adds a time-consuming step to the investigation,” Browne said.
A Columbia spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment.
Authorities were testing the 4-foot-long twine noose for DNA evidence, but had no suspects as of Thursday morning.
On Wednesday, the professor who was the target of the attack, Madonna Constantine, told hundreds of faculty and students at a rally on the Ivy League campus that the incident was a “blatant act of racism” that “reeks of cowardice and fear.”
“I’m upset that our community has been exposed to such an unbelievably vile incident,” she said.
Police believe the noose was placed on the doorknob of Constantine’s office at Teachers College—Columbia’s graduate school of education—Tuesday morning, when a colleague spotted it and notified authorities.
Police declined to discuss possible motives or suspects.
Will we see a similar outcome as the GWU fake hate crime?
Why else would Columbia refuse to cooperate with law enforcement officers trying to get to the bottom of the case?
Help me out here. Maybe I’m missing something.
Stay tuned.
***
Just to bring you up to speed if you haven’t followed the case:
A black Columbia University professor targeted by a hangman’s noose delivered a defiant message during a protest rally Wednesday: “I will not be silent.” A day after the racist symbol was left dangling on her office door, Madonna Constantine was greeted by raucous cheers of support at Teachers College. “Hanging a noose on my door reeks of cowardice and fear,” said Constantine, who teaches psychology and education and has written on racism. “I want the perpetrator to know I will not be silent.”
…Cops were conducting DNA tests on the noose, a 4-foot length of hand-tied twine. They also planned to question some of Constantine’s colleagues, including Prof. Suniya Luthar. Police sources said Constantine and Luthar crossed swords over a plum assignment at the university, but stressed that Luthar was not a suspect. In May, Constantine filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court seeking damages of $100,000 from Luthar for defamation.
…Constantine was not at work Tuesday morning when the noose was spotted by Prof. Marie Miville, who called it a “vile act.” Miville ran to get Constantine’s research partner, Derald Wing Sue, who felt his blood boil when he saw what was hanging from his colleague’s door. “I was angry and outraged. I knew immediately what it was all about in terms of racial hatred,” he said. He called security and then phoned Constantine, so she wouldn’t be caught off-guard when she arrived. “All I could hear was this long pause, silence at the end of the phone,” he said.
***
Previous:
GWU’s leftist hoax crime update: What will the administration do?
The left fakes the hate at GWU
Hate crime hoax at Ole Miss
Colleges perfect milieu for hate crime hoaxes
Unhinged: The Mugshot Collection [scroll down to Kerri Dunn]
Another hate crime hoax
Crimes of the phantoms
Tawana Brawley goes to college
Muslim “hate crimes”
Myth of the Muslim hate crime epidemic
See what others have said
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Categories: Education, Nooses, Race Hustlers
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Hey Rick, do you think the Coast Guard planted those nooses? Of course not, that’d be pretty stupid. What’s your thoughts on that incident?
DarkKnight,
Do you really think that a student of Teachers College, one of the most liberal education schools in the nation, would place a noose on the handle of black professor’s office? AND Columbia would refuse to hand over the security tape?
What does this have to do with the Coast Guard?
Liberals seem to joyfully revel in anger and indignation, so I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they didn’t hang the noose themselves. Also, judging from their hatred of Israel and Jews, it would make sense if Marxist or Muslim students in sincerity posted the anti-Semitic graffiti and then to be the victims placed “Islamophobic” graffiti as well.
PC isn’t much better than Moslem outrage. At least Moslems are genuine in their fanaticism, while PC is merely feigned über-solicitousness in response to feigned hypersensitivity.
Like some phony black professor was really skeered a noose on his doorknob meant some Ku Kluck Klanners were going to lynch him or something. Any normal person not looking to promote an issue would simply laugh off such pranks.
When kids write graffiti on walls and doors, this is juvenile vandalism–not something that should get even local press attention.
I have heard that black Africans find it absolutely hilarious how Americans are intimidated by blacks and kowtow to them. Is that true? I don’t know. When I read that somewhere it struck me as likely.
chapoutier,
My “badder.” I didn’t realize your point.
Agreed, 7,163 according to the FBI is a lot more concrete than “probably” hundreds to thousands.
You have to remember, these are just the incidents we know about, that have been officially reported. Unofficially, there may well be dozens of other incidents that have been silenced and squelched.
Every occurrence is another chink in the armor of progressive, avante garde, radical political aura these campuses like to put forth.
The Jihadist groupthink, anti-Israel, feel-good feminism philosophies these campuses espouse…..
I ask: “How’s it working for you?”
Wow Gabe, I didn’t think I’d have to break it down to you. But for you only, here we go:
There are some people out in the world who think that racism doesn’t exist. “Race” problems are something that people make up just to get attention. While there may be instances of that, there are some incidents that reek of racial intolerance. A noose appearing on a door at a liberal arts college is a big deal no matter who put it there. The fact that there is a noose appearing anywhere is a big problem. Whoever put it there needs to be exposed, pronto. If it was the professor who did it, it’s wrong. If it was another black student, it’s wrong. Whoever it was, it’s wrong.
But sadly, this is not an isolated incident. There have now been TWO instances of noose appearing in the Coast Guard ranks as well. One was placed on an item belonging to an African American cadet. The other on the door of a civil rights instructor at the Coast Guard academy in Connecticut.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/04/coast.guard.nooses/
Although it might seem that when a noose appears someone is playing a prank, or trying to be funny… IT IS NOT FUNNY. Whoever places nooses anywhere needs to be exposed and reprimanded.
I just think its sad that we are concentrating on the nooses at Columbia more than any other noose incidents. Put more plainly, I’m wondering why it took a suspected Columbia University conspiracy theory for the story to become interesting eough to post on MichelleMalkin.com.
Think about it.
So much for the “self-esteem” brigade!
I guess all the “Womyn’s Studies” departments, Affirmative Action, fake diversity, and Jihadist welcoming committees…..haven’t led to increased tolerance and understanding after all.
What a surprise.
I wonder if Columbia has unisex bathrooms or if they have a seperate “Myns Room”?
Actually I think that if the video showed a stranger or even a non liberal student hanging the noose on her door they would have had the tape in hand when the police first arrived. Security videos are not protected and campuses and businesses hand them over regularly. So I’m not going to be surprised if the tape turns out to go missing or be somehow flawed and unusable.
don’t know this – but if I were a betting person, I’d put my guess on a “so called victim” trying to make the “right” look bad. These incidents are cowardly. (Pardon the expression) “Real men” if they have a beef with somebody, actually take it up with the person instead of playing the anonymous fear game.
If the noose maker didn’t wear rubber gloves while tying the knot, there’s a good chance his/her DNA will be found.
I wonder if the DNA testing will be done in the same way as that of the Duke lacrosse players? That is, buried if the “wrong” results come out.
Each day makes me more cynical and suspicious with good reason. This country is divided by those who keep hatred alive by creating situations to ensure it. Semper Fi – come home safe and soon.
USMCgramma, what are you trying to say? Are you trying to say that those who say they are victims of raciallly-motivated crimes are creating situations to ensure it? I’m reserve judgement until I get clarification on your point. Help me understand what you are trying to say in your post.
I would suspect it’s either the child of a very generous donor, or an arab student.
This would make them “untouchable” in the eyes of a liberal administration. They wouldn’t want the cops arresting some poor muslim. That would be wrong.
The person that should have raised the most hell over the stalling is the Professor herself. She’s the victim.
Had I seen the person put the noose of the door, I’d have jumped them myself, and attempted to demonstrate the proper use of such a knot…
I don’t – DO NOT – stand for racism. It runs contrary to what I feel is the core of this nation, and I tend to get stabby when I hear people spouting racist BS.
DarkKnight, why are you being so sanctimonious about this? If the perpetrator of the Columbia noose is white, I doubt that you find many (if any) sympathizers for the perp and whatever can of whoop-azz befalls him/her. But, because lefties are so infatuated with manufactured allegations of racism, many of us conservatives have doubts when people of dubious credibility start crying “wolf,” and the evidence that might immediately verify the claim is suppressed.
As to the USCG nooses, I think that those incidents are more-than-likely to be real examples of racism. I say this because I believe in the integrity of the USCG to properly conduct an honest investigation and because everyone subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice knows that there will be no mercy shown for the perpetrators.
Just out of curiosity, what is your position on the GWU “satire”? I have already posted elsewhere that the leftie leaflet is protected First Amendment “speech,” but the University’s threat of sanctions against YAF is a criminal violation of the U.S. civil rights laws. Read 18 USC 241 sometime.
I don’t understand why people are acting as if the presence of a noose indicates racism.
It could be ANYTHING. It could be a student who received bad marks from the teacher. It could be the teacher herself. Hell, it could even be another faculty member whose attraction to her was spurned for all we know.
I just find it interesting, her statement that (paraphrased) “she knew it was racist the moment she saw it”.
Yashmack,
The motive to do this could have been non-racist, sure. Like you said, maybe a kid angry at a bad grade.
But motive and message aren’t necessarily the same and here the message was certainly meant to convey to its viewer at least the appearance of racism. The noose was chosen for that specific reason. I suspect that this is what the professor’s statement was getting at.
See, if I found a noose on my door knob, I don’t think I would have assumed a racist intent AT ALL. I would assume someone wanted to see me dead, and wonder why. Maybe I’m not as eager to see racism in every corner. You know, the noose doesn’t discriminate, and has been used to kill every race color and creed at some point. It’s not an uncommon prop in death threats either.
I have no idea as to your ethnicity, but I can speak for myself. As I am not black, if I found a noose on my door, I would not think it racist either.
But, assuming she didn’t do it, you don’t think a BLACK woman who finds a NOOSE on her door can reasonably assume that was meant to convey a racist message?
And if a Jewish person found a swastika on his or her door, I guess we shouldn’t assume that it was probably anti-semitic? I guess it could have been a roving band of Hindu taggers.
If it does turn out to be the professor, it will be interesting to see how the MSM handles (or doesn’t handle) it.
No matter how I look at it, I just don’t see how one could make that assumption. Like I said, the noose has a long tradition as a death threat prop, no matter what the race of the individual being threatened.
You could reasonably wonder if that MIGHT have been the motivation, but not reasonably assume that it was definitely the motivation, as the individual in question here has.
Quite a leap in the argument there – from noose to swastika.
I know some of you are going to vilify me for saying this but here goes anyway:
I’m willing to bet that there have been a lot more white people killed via the hangman’s noose than black people.
Spare me the lectures about “lynchings in the south”. I know all about ‘em. Still doesn’t alter the fact that the noose has been used more against whites than blacks.
Take the noose as a death threat? Sure, I can see that. But hate crime? Spare me. “Hate crimes” are one of the worst concepts that have been foisted on Americans since the founding of the country. A threat is a threat, no matter your race, creed, sexual preference, etc. Same thing for crimes.
Go ahead and bash in 5 . . .4 . . .3 . . .
Yashmack and Drone….
Un-be-liev-able. You are obviously letting your bias toward this incident affect your reasoning capabilities.
I have no idea what the statistics are for how many white people have been hung vs. how many blacks. That is totally irrelevant. When is the last time you heard of a white person having a noose hung on their door? I’m guessing never because it is NOT A SYMBOL OF RACISM TOWARD WHITES. THERE IS NOT A DEPLORABLE HISTORY OF LYNCHINGS OF WHITES BY NOOSE IN THE US.
There is however a deplorable history of black lynchings, which is why the noose represents such a vile symbol (like a burning cross), which is why it is often used as a tool of intimidation against blacks. See also the “White Tree” in Jena or the incidents in the service academies or the multitude of other incidents THAT ALL HAPPEN TO INVOLVE BLACKS.
This debate should be about who put the noose there and why. Not about whether or not a noose placed on the door of a black person is an obvious symbol of racism. Because 1) it is at best, a tangential issue and 2)only someone totally delusional would try to argue otherwise.
To the disappointment of many here, I am sure…
From an AP report here.
Perhaps you missed where I said:
Perhaps you’d like to address that comment rather than come back frothing at the mouth with yet another diatribe about “the noose is racist”.
Crime is crime. “Hate crimes” are a non-sensical, PC bunch of crap being foisted on Americans.
Is putting a noose on a door a crime? Not a “hate crime” but a crime? It either is or it isn’t, but to make it a crime if it’s aimed solely at a particular group is, in my opinion, wrong.
I know you’ll disagree. But only because I know folks like you like I know every inch of my own body. You are, to say the least, thoroughly predictable.
I smell Karina Garcia. Just another socialist commie stirring up trouble on campus because there aren’t any Minutemen to attack on stage to prevent them from exercising their First Amendment rights.
On October 12th, 2007 at 4:28 pm, chapoutier said:
To the disappointment of many here, I am sure…
From an AP report.
———————-
I saw that NYPD quote too, but the NY Daily News had already established this yesterday:
…so I wonder if the NYPD said that Madonna is a victim based on the fact that Madonna wasn’t there when the noose was found, or if evidence (videotape?) shows someone else doing the dirty deed?
Drone,
You are the one confusing the issue and missing the point the point. I am not, nor have not in this thread, argued the virtues/vices of hate crime legislation. But that issue is not what prompted all this.
Apparently you and Yas took issue with the prof immediately jumping to the conclusion that it was a racist message. I said that it seems damn reasonable to assume that a noose on a black persons door was an attempt at racial intimidation because it is a well known racist symbol.
Set aside whether or not you think racially motivated crimes should be treated differently and ask yourself if you agree with the bolded part of that last sentence. If you don’t then I really just have to shake my head and wonder how someone can either be so idsingenuous or so obtuse.
My initial thought is that it must be based on something more. Saying that someone wasn’t there when evidence was discovered is wholly different from ruling out the idea that the person could have committed the act.
I agree. Establishing victim status immediately rules Madonna out, so the NYPD must be saying that they have something solid on someone else already.
Through such a certain statement, it even sounds like the NYPD is ruling out the possibility that she could have conspired with someone else to place the noose on her doorknob. So any credible suspect would most likely have no proven connection to Madonna, or else be someone who is proven to have had it out for her.
-chapoutier
I’m guessing you wouldn’t hear about it because it would be considered a run of the mill death threat, and therefore not grist for the media.
On the subject of death threats, I’m similarly confused about this woman’s priorities. She’s worried more about if it’s racist or not than the obvious threat of death it symbolizes? Priorities seem to be askew.
-chapoutier
Wait, isn’t the determination of that part of determination of motive, which is equivalent in cases where a crime has been committed to “why”?
I will say it again for you verrrry slooooowly so as it may sink in this time. Motive for the act (bad grade, ongoing lawsuit, stupid prank, maybe just plain ol’ racism) is not the same as the message intended to be conveyed by the act.
Take for example, perhaps a disgruntled student . There aren’t many recognized symbols for “I [bleeping] hate you you [bleeping] [bleep] for ruining my GPA.” So the student, in his anger, strikes out by exploiting a characteristic of the prof, i.e., her race and puts up a recognized symbol of hatred for that group. Whatever the original motive, the perp expressed the hatred by striking at her race.
Is that really so hard to follow?
So, please don’t post on this subject anymore because 1) you look foolish and/or stubborn and 2) I am really sick of beating this dead horse.
Lastly I eagerly await MM’s update of this post absolving the professor of this disgusting act.
I’m comfy with this being absolute bullsh*t until it’s proven not to be. Da “professor” would be the number one suspect…
Yes, the prof would be the #1 suspect, and especially if they made an accusation like that before that was proven to be false
(I am not saying that she did-just speculating since a persons past false accusations are fair game to be brought up!)
Sort of like Crystal Gail Mangums past was fair game for the Raliegh-Durham Da (oh wait-Nifong didn’t bring it up)
See, all I thought the perp expressed (unless it was her), was a desire to kill her.
Well first off Rick, the professor was a FEMALE, but I won’t speculate if you actually know the details of the case.
Do I see any backtracking from Mr. Rick Moran now that this question has been answered?
Not.
Holding.
Breath.
Alrighty Mr. 509th Bob, what is your reaction and other “conservatives” to the fact that this person (as the police has stated according to the AP) is not just a person crying “wolf?”
I’m all ears.
Ah, who cares? I say we adopt the black Swiss Army response: First of all, we don’t know if the perp is White, and until we do, it’s racist to simply assume it, and B, even if he/she/it IS White, you need to understand the the level of frustration that White people are feeling these days, what with watching the never ending violence committed by blacks, seeing the injustice of affirmative action, being labled as racist for every/ no reason, and on and on. See, we’re not saying the hanging of the noose was ok, we’re just saying that Whites are fed up with decades of black behavior. You blacks all understand, right?
Last time I looked expressing hate wasn’t against the law. Indeed, the Left in this country does so professionally, routinely burning American & Israeli flags, hanging Bush in effigy and carrying signs proclaiming all manner of hateful nonsense.
In fact, I could stand on a street corner and shout “I hate Muslims” until my voice gave out without breaking a single law.
The only crime committed at Pace was that the student flushed a book that didn’t belong to him, hence my characterizing it as petty larceny.
In contrast, here at Columbia what we have (assuming it’s not a hoax) is someone directing what could reasonably be perceived as an actual threat at an individual person.
You can “hmmm” all you want, these are two completely different cases. One is not even “somewhat” analogous to the other.
I wouldn’t presume to speak for all Conservatives, but I have two reactions myself. One is to be glad that the cops are that much closer to catching someone. The other would be mild frustration that perhaps they’d be at this point a couple of days ago if Columbia had simply cooperated from the start.
Given the history of high-profile manufactured “hate crimes” and Columbia’s initial refusal to cooperate, can you honestly fault someone for thinking it possible that this incident was not what it appeared to be?
Your assertion is no doubt correct, but the raw number of victims is irrelevant, it’s the symbolism that matters.
Here’s a stark example for you: the Roman empire crucified hundreds of thousands of people during its dominance. But when you see someone with a Crucifix on their necklace it’s a pretty safe assumption that they’re honoring only one such person. It’s also safe to assume which person that is.
It likewise doesn’t matter how many people of what races have been hanged. As a means of communication the noose is understood in our society to be a symbol of white-on-black hatred.
JWS, I can only call things the way I see and can speak only for myself. Frankly, I would love to think that a mentality of racial dominence doesn’t exist in some people and that a noose can become a thing of the past only read about in history books. But these rash of incidents, including in the most honorable of establishments (I have nothing but respect for the USCG), shows that clearly someone thinks that nooses are a) a joke or b) wants to send a message. It’s the same thing with the Jena 6 reaction to the nooses.
Just as some white people might hate being accused of racism at every turn, and would wish that black people would just let racial issues go and move on… there are also black people who REALLY DO just want to let racial issues go. But then they open their newspaper and read about nooses being left on professors doors, or a ship crewman, or on a civil rights attorney’s door.
Then they can’t let go. They won’t let it go. That could be their child. Their neighbor. Their churchgoer.
I don’t know if this professor’s parents are living. But can you imagine if you are the parent of that professor who grew up when there were separate drinking fountains? Then a noose appears on YOUR CHILD’s door at one of the most prestigious universities in the country?!?!?!
Many black people then get frustrated with people who see all of these incidents and still have the nerve to pretend that race doesn’t play a role anymore in our society.
Then they get accused in blogs and talk radio shows of being “race hustlers” and “race baiters.”
But who cares, right JWS?
You’re a stand up guy for answering Mr. Felx, wish I could say the same for most of the posters in this thread. I can understand being slow to speak and swift to hear. Everything must be with a grain of salt. But once those hesitations are proven false, then it time to get serious to finding answers. That is why I’m so upset that this story only appeared on this blog after Columbia was slow to turn over the video. That became more of a story than the noose itself.
MM says she’s been following this with great interest. I would love to see some official outrage and condemnation of the noose itself from MM and then focus on the effort to catch the perpetratior. But it would be possible that she assumes her audience is more interested in bashing all of the “leftists” and “hippies” that have supposedly taken over college campuses.
I would hope that it is an incorrect assumption. There needs to be outrage (no matter what your race) that nooses are still being used in our society, period. That’s not be sactimonious.
Edit: That’s not being sactimonious.
On October 13th, 2007 at 10:44 am, DarkKnight said:
But who cares, right JWS?
Right.
*sigh*
I’ve been thinking more about this NYPD statement from Friday. I’m not an expert on official police statements, but one would think that if detectives are certain in ruling out an accuser of any involvement, then they must have the goods on someone else in order to reach that conclusion.
The only other individuals reported to be at the scene of the crime (before the authorities arrived) are Prof. Marie Miville, and Derald Wing Sue, Madonna Constantine’s research partner.
If the NYPD have relieved Madonna Constantine of any involvement, then I assume that they have also relieved Miville, Wing Sue (or ANY other teacher, assistant or student who Constantine fraternized with) of any guilt.
I say this because, if Constantine is now out of the loop, the NYPD must also be saying that she in no way conspired with anyone else to leave the noose on her door.
I would also assume that investigating Constantine’s network of friends and colleagues would take longer than 2-3 days for the NYPD to reach their conclusion on her non-involvement. Therefore, I’m beginning to believe that direct evidence shows someone who Constantine couldn’t have conspired with. Is this the videotape?
As a means of communication the noose is understood in our society to be a symbol of white-on-black hatred.
See, I don’t buy that. I see burning crosses as a sign of white on black hatred, but I’ve never thought of nooses that way. I talked to a few of my buddies and my parents about this (and yes, I’m going anecdotal here), after the debating on the topic I’ve been doing with chapoutier, and only my mother associated the noose with white-on-black hatred. All the rest thought of it solely as a death threat.
There may be some in our society who see it as a racist symbol, but there must be a significant percentage who don’t. Therefore there must also be a significant chance that the perp didn’t intend it as a racist message, and backs up my earlier assertion that it was premature for the victim to assume that it was intended as such.
I heard this morning, that 18 minutes of the video were missing. Anyone have any information that can confirm that?
I can’t find anything about it.
Does anyone also know why (only 2-3 days after the incident, and only 1 day after obtaining the video tape) the NYPD essentially removed the main character, Prof. Madonna Constantine, from their list of suspects by stating, “our victim is a victim”?
One might think that such a quick and definitive statement indicates that the NYPD have direct evidence that someone else is the culprit. Otherwise, why would they so quickly dismiss her as a person of interest?
And if they definitely know that Madonna wasn’t involved, why is it taking a week to reveal who was involved?
What’s the status on this puppy?