Swastikas found on Jewish frat house

ATLANTA — Swastikas were found painted on the exterior of a historically Jewish fraternity house at Emory University in metro Atlanta over the weekend, according to police and university reports, and officials said the vandalism would not be tolerated as they stepped up patrols at the private school.

The Alpha Epsilon Pi house was targeted early Sunday morning, shortly after the end of the observance of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, Emory officials said.

University President James Wagner sent a statement Sunday night to students and others on campus, calling the “abhorrent act” an offense against the entire university.

“Among the many pernicious things the swastika symbolizes, in the last century it represented the most egregious and determined undermining of intellectual freedom and truth-seeking,” Wagner said in the statement. “In short, its appearance on our campus is an attack against everything for which Emory stands.”

Campus officials were meeting with student leaders to provide support and determine next steps, the statement said.

By Sunday night, the swastikas had been painted over, and officers were patrolling in front of the fraternity house, WSB-TV reported.

Alpha Epsilon Pi is a global Jewish fraternity with headquarters in Indianapolis, according to a description on its website.

Emory is a private school of 14,500 students just outside the city limits.