4 students admit painting racist graffiti at NCSU
Published: Thu, Nov. 06, 2008 01:42PM
Modified Thu, Nov. 06, 2008 05:35PM
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closeRALEIGH -- Campus police say they will not bring charges against four students who admitted spray-painting racist graffiti aimed at President-elect Barack Obama in the Free Expression Tunnel at N.C. State University.
Citing privacy laws, university officials declined to name the four. Even without criminal charges, they could face action by the university, including expulsion.
About 500 people gathered today for a rally at the NCSU Brickyard to demonstrate their opposition to the graffiti.
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The U.S. Secret Service assisted in the investigation, said Jon Barnwell, spokesman for the NCSU police. The federal agency was involved because of the threatening nature of the graffiti, which said "Shoot Obama" and "Kill that n-----."
The graffiti appeared early Wednesday over positive messages about Obama that someone else had written in the tunnel.
Secret Service agents searched the residences of the four responsible and determined there was no actual threat to Obama, Barnwell said.
Campus investigators consulted with the Wake County District Attorney's office before dropping the investigation of a potential hat crime, Barnwell said. "They said that while offensive, it was a free-speech issue," he said.
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