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Delaware DOJ charges banned UD student with hate crime following vandalism on campus

A University of Delaware sign.
Delaware Public Media
/
University of Delaware
A University of Delaware sign.

A University of Delaware student – now banned from campus – is charged with a hate crime after a vandalism incident.

The Delaware Department of Justice has charged Jenna Kandeel with three misdemeanor charges including hate crime after a Holocaust memorial sponsored by a Jewish student group was vandalized.

DOJ officials say Kandeel also went on an antisemitic tirade.

The 23-year-old was arrested on May 8 by officers from the University of Delaware Police Department after witnesses reported she had damaged several flags at the memorial on the UD Green.

Kandeel was also accused of making vulgar statements about the Jewish community and the Holocaust.

According to the DOJ, she later admitted the vandalism to police officers.

In a letter last week to the UD community, University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis said this conduct violated the Student Code of Conduct and the University’s Non-Discrimination Policy.

He adds incidents like this have no place on campus, and that any acts of discrimination, racism, violence, or destructive behavior that are directed at any group and threaten the wellbeing of UD’s community will be addressed immediately.

Kandeel has been charged with a hate crime, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors.

Joe brings over 20 years of experience in news and radio to Delaware Public Media and the All Things Considered host position. He joined DPM in November 2019 as a reporter and fill-in ATC host after six years as a reporter and anchor at commercial radio stations in New Castle and Sussex Counties.