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ANALYSIS: Campus hate hoaxes so fake they’d make the Southern Poverty Law Center proud
As in years past, campus hate hoax incidents did not let up during the 2025-26 school year. From incidents that did occur but were not hateful, to crimes that likely did not happen, this school year saw plenty of hoaxes.
And no, The College Fix is not talking about Ku Klux Klan rallies that were funded by the Southern Poverty Law Center so that they could fundraise off that reemergence of the KKK. If that did happen, it would certainly be wrong!
Here is a roundup of the hate hoaxes of the past school year:
- Just earlier this week, a University of Illinois Chicago student admitted to setting up a burning cross as a protest against Trump.
- Virginia Tech professor claims to be victim of racist attack – after white teens clean snow off truck in front of his house.
- Journalist claims guy holding n-word sign is white – he was black.
- Montana State University Chinese student writes anti-Asian messages, tries to blame Turning Point USA, gets sent to jail.
- Black University of Minnesota student blames conservatives angry about Charlie Kirk assassination for hoax threats.
- Police conclude there was “no probable cause” that racist slurs led to brawling at a high school basketball game.
- Student paints obscure cross on Northwestern University rock – LGBT activists call it “cruel behavior,” find a way to blame Trump.
- Purdue University basketball player says his family was subjected to racist slurs during University of Illinois game – school determines there is no truth to this allegation.
- Kansas State University women’s soccer team plays songs with racial slurs, then gets the coach punished after she repeats the n-word to make a point.
- Nearly half of University of Iowa hate crimes are scribbles on a whiteboard.
- Several campuses hit with fake active shooter alerts.
Seeking justice
In some cases, the accused fought back against fake racism claims.
- High school teacher wins defamation lawsuit after seating chart comments.
- White college student wins $3.2 million judgement over false racism claims from when he was a kid.
- College student wins judgement over fake “blackface” allegations but still lives with repercussions.
- University of Notre Dame beats back lawsuit from Chinese man who claimed Uyghur genocide claims defamed all of China and would inspire racism.
Hey whatever happened to…?
Do you ever hear claims of racist attacks but never see the final update? This year The Fix followed up on alleged racist attacks, often to find there was no suspect and sometimes the case had quietly been closed.
- UCLA police say there are “no leads” into who threw paper balls and yelled a “homophobic slur.”
- California State University Monterey Bay is still looking for a suspect who wrote racist slurs on a dorm room door.
- FBI silent on nationwide racist texts sent to students, others.
- Colin Kaepernick funds independent autopsy after black Delta State University student’s suicide, but celebrity attorney still hasn’t released the results months later.
- Student repeats rumor that Delta State University student was lynched while dismissing Charlie Kirk’s assassination and asserting he was a “Nazi.”
Dishonorable mention
White Democratic donor Scott Pogorelc yells at Virginia Republican leader Winsome Earle-Sears to “go back to Haiti.” She is from Jamaica, and it would be wrong to yell at her to “go back to Haiti.” Pogorelc then filed a harassment claim, which the police dismissed.
Why you should question claims of hatred
It is wrong to treat people differently because of their race or sex or religion. Next time someone throws out claims of hatred, it is important to ask what they mean by that.
For example, race hustlers said that the biggest issue of a University of Michigan coach’s adultery was not that he betrayed his own family, but that other black coaches would have a harder time getting hired.
Meanwhile, a Gonzaga University professor said the phrase “our race,” referring to a local 12K, would make “communities of color” feel threatened.
It is wrong to treat people differently because of their race. It is also wrong to gin up racial hatred on campus or in the community.
