Reward Offered in Racial Slur Graffiti

The Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry and Chester County District Attorney’s Office have offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who spray-painted a racial slur at the entrance of Lincoln University.

“Racism and ignorance go hand-in-hand, and neither will be tolerated in Chester County,” Chester County District Attorney Thomas P. Hogan said. “Whether the university is Villanova, Penn State or Lincoln, such behavior is unacceptable in a civilized society. It is a crying shame that a university named after Abraham Lincoln has been subjected to this type of disrespect.”

The racial slur was discovered by university security on Feb. 19, officials said.

Located in southern Chester County, Lincoln University was the first degree-granting, historically black university in the United States. Poet Langston Hughes and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall are among its graduates.

“This vandalism is not only shocking, it is offensive. It is even worse when the targets are students. These students are here to grow and contribute to society. They deserve much better,” Chamber President Guy Ciarrocchi said. “We stand with not only with the District Attorney’s Office, but with the vast majority of Chester County residents and business owners who want Lincoln’s students to feel welcome.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Chester County Detective Edward Nolan at 610-344- 6866.

___________________

Check out these other Patch stories:

• THON 2015 Raises More Than $13M
• New Cezanne Works Discovered at Barnes Foundation
• 19 Philadelphia Chefs, Restaurants Up for James Beard Awards
• Our Red Pandas Are Just as Cute as Yours, Cincinnati