The College Fix

OPINION: Victims going quiet suggests a hoax

Michigan State University’s police department regularly has to close allegations of hateful activity because the alleged victims stop talking, according to the student newspaper.

The State News deserves commendation for following up on reports of hateful conduct on campus instead of simply accepting the first allegation and then sitting back until the university gives an update.

They found that in many cases the police were not hearing back from the person making the accusation, so they had to stop investigating.

One possible reason, according to the student newspaper, is that the campus police sent out vague emails about resources for the alleged victims. That could be a cause.

Another reason could be the person filing the report wanted to show mercy to the person they accused. Perhaps they changed their mind and did not want someone getting excessively punished for a stupid comment or joke.

It is also possible that some of the incidents did not really occur, or if they did, they were between friends. It is possible the alleged victim played a role in the hateful incident.

These are situations The College Fix has observed over years of reporting on hate crime hoaxes. For example, a swimmer at Gettysburg College allegedly allowed his teammate to scratch the n-word into him. However, he changed his story when confronted by his coaches. The family stopped cooperating with the NAACP for an investigation which they themselves had requested.

In another instance, a University of Cincinnati professor also ignored attempts by the police to follow up on a racist letter someone allegedly sent him. That prompted the police to close the investigation.

At Wright State University, the black victim of a hate crime also stopped talking to the police. The alleged victim reported someone knocked her whiteboard off her dorm door and wrote the n-word in black marker. Police closed the investigation due to a lack of evidence and the victim’s unwillingness to cooperate.

The issue continues at Michigan State, where six of the seven reported hate crimes as of October 2024 have been closed. The student newspaper says it is still waiting for the reports.

It is good they are working to hold their school accountable – and it seems likely those reports have been closed because the alleged victim went quiet.

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