A man was arrested on Tuesday in relation to an episode during New York University’s graduation celebrations in which a flag with two swastikas and a Star of David flew above a campus building, according to court documents.
The man, Alexander Stepnowsky, is charged with hate crime burglary, two counts of hate crime aggravated harassment and criminal trespassing in a hate crime. He was a student at the school at the time, Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for N.Y.U., said in an interview. A LinkedIn profile that matches biographic information about Mr. Stepnowsky said he was a music technology student at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development — the building over which the flag flew.
According to court records, Mr. Stepnowsky was born in 2002.
Mr. Stepnowsky was identified over the course of an investigation conducted by the school and the Police Department hate crime task force, Mr. Norvell said. The department confirmed that Mr. Stepnowsky was arrested on the Lower East Side at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. A lawyer for Mr. Stepnowsky did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The symbols that were represented are antisemitic and hateful to every person of conscience; this appalling act violated our sense of community and solidarity,” Mr. Norvell said in a statement. “In addition to criminal proceedings, we will immediately pursue our disciplinary procedures, which carry the most severe consequences.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
