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Mystery of Pace's Koran Dunkings Solved
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 28, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 28, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Last October, authorities were trying to figure out who had left copies of the Koran in toilets on Pace University's Manhattan campus. With other hate incidents occurring at Pace's Manhattan and Westchester campuses (a swastika on a bathroom wall, the n-word written on a car), students were rattled and questioned whether the school had reacted quickly and forcefully enough. Now, months later, the police have made an arrest.
Twenty-three-year-old Stanislav Shmulevich was charged with criminal mischief and aggravated harassment as hate crimes. Shmulevich, a business major at Pace who lives in Brooklyn, had been "confronted" with surveillance photographs taken on the days of the Koran dunkings and reportedly made "admitting statements."
His roommate told the Daily News she was shocked. "It's impossible. He was defending the Koran. We had that conversation. He said, 'Don't criticize the Koran if you haven't read it.' Why would he do something so stupid?" His father, who lives on Staten Island, said, "He's a good son. He's a hard worker and he's about to graduate from college. He works full time at night and then he goes to school. I'm surprised, utterly surprised. I don't know what happened."
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brooklyn
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Last October
manhattan
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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