Pork Thrown Into Jewish Fraternity House, Greenwich Student Charged With Hate Crime: District Attorney

GREENWICH, CT — Two 18-year-old Syracuse University students, one of whom is from Greenwich, are facing hate crime charges after officials say one of them threw what was believed to be pork into the house of a historically Jewish fraternity as members were gathered to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

Kyle Anderson, of Greenwich, and Samuel Patten, who is reportedly from Brooklyn, N.Y., according to Syracuse.com - have pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree burglary as a hate crime, a Class B felony, and second-degree criminal nuisance, a misdemeanor, according to New York State court records.

"This incident is not a foolish college prank and will not be treated as such," said Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick in a statement. "It will be treated for what it is, a crime directed at a group of Jewish students enjoying a celebratory dinner and seemingly secure in their residence."

The incident occurred on the evening of Sept. 23 at approximately 6 p.m., Syracuse University Chief Student Experience Officer Allen Groves said in a letter to the school community.

Anderson is accused of driving a car with Patten as the passenger to the Zeta Beta Tau house, Fitzpatrick said.

Patten entered the home and threw meat at the wall, according to Fitzpatrick.

"Due to the date being the Jewish High Holy Day of Rosh Hashanah, it being dinner time, the food thrown being pork with obvious religious implications to the Jewish faith and the well-known fact that ZBT is a Jewish fraternity, this incident is being charged as a hate crime," Fitzpatrick added.

The students fled in a car but were quickly apprehended by the university's Department of Public Safety and taken into custody by Syracuse police, Groves noted.

"I am grateful to DPS for their swift action and to SPD for their partnership in helping us keep our community safe," Groves said. "The students involved have been referred to Community Standards pursuant to our Student Conduct Code, and pending the outcome of an investigation, will face appropriate disciplinary action through our established procedures."

Groves called the incident as reported to the university "abhorrent" and "shocking to the conscience."

Anderson was scheduled to appear in Syracuse City Court on Friday. Patten is due in court on Sept. 29, court records show.

Melissa K. Swartz, an attorney representing Anderson, declined to comment on the matter.

An attorney representing Patten did not immediately return a request for comment Friday afternoon.