Caldwell Police looking for person of interest in Pride flags vandalism case on C of I campus
Police in Caldwell are now looking for a person of interest who was reportedly seen on a surveillance camera in the area where multiple Pride flags were taken down and vandalized on the College of Idaho campus sometime Tuesday night.
The vandalism took place roughly a day after students and staff held a Pride Month event on campus.
Joe Hughes, the college’s director or marketing and communications, said in an email Wednesday that flags were vandalized sometime Tuesday night. He said the vandalism is under investigation by the college and the Caldwell Police Department.
Capt. Devin Riley with CPD said officers were called to the campus after the vandalism was discovered. College and police officials had a meeting Wednesday to discuss the reported vandalism and decide how to proceed, Riley said.
He said two detectives have been assigned to the case, and the incident can be categorized as a possible hate crime.
Riley added that there are security cameras in many areas of campus, and as of Wednesday afternoon, police were in the process of pulling and reviewing the surveillance footage.
On Wednesday night, the school posted on Facebook a photo of a reported person of interest in the investigation. Anyone who recognizes the individual depicted or has other information should contact the CPD or COI’s Campus Security.
“As you all know, there was an ugly act of hate on our campus last night. An act of hatred against one of us is an act against all of us,” said Co-Presidents Doug Brigham and Jim Everett in a statement. “It was vandalism, and it included the words ‘Not in My Town.’ This is our town and our campus, and there is no place for hate here.”
Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas also expressed his support.
“Crime of any kind will not be tolerated in the city of Caldwell,” Nancolas said. “We love our college and all its students, and we value immensely the contributions the college continually brings to our community.”
The college’s Gender Sexuality Campus Alliance and Associated Students of the College of Idaho also condemned the actions and encouraged fellow students to stand up against injustices.
On Monday, dozens of students and faculty at the college held a Pride rally on campus to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. Many wore masks and held miniature Pride flags as larger flags were hung up around campus. The college’s Flickr feed shows students hanging flags in different areas of campus, as well as students and faculty of all ages attending.
Riley said Pride flags were taken down, but did not comment on what was done to them after they were removed.
Posts on social media showed multiple rainbow flags synonymous with Pride taken down and spray-painted with a dash through the middle. Other posts showed the words “not in my town” painted on a sidewalk.
Numerous students took to social media to voice their disgust with the vandalism and offered words of support to the LGBTQ+ community.
“I shouldn’t forget that The College of Idaho isn’t immune to discrimination,” wrote Twitter user Aleah Mendiola. “To the LGBTQ+ community, I stand with you.”
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Caldwell Police looking for person of interest in Pride flags vandalism case on C of I campus."
