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October 7, 2009
By Luke Runyon
Editor-in-chief
Police arrested three residential UIS students on Saturday. The men are accused of perpetrating a hate crime against two males, one a UIS student, in a campus parking lot last weekend.
Jonathan Bishop, 27 |
Michial Filipiak, 27 |
Charles Sales, 23 |
Jonathan Bishop, 27, Michial Filipiak, 22, and Charles Sales, 23, were taken into custody by UIS police and transported to Sangamon County Jail at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. All men were charged with mob action, aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and a hate crime. Bishop received an additional charge of resisting a peace officer.
News of the event caused campus administrators to arrange a student forum, also on Saturday, to allow students to voice their concerns about the issue.
According to a UIS Police report of the incident, an officer arrived on the scene to find the non-student victim with his face covered in blood, lumps on his forehead and a possible broken nose.
The report also said the victim’s car received damage, including its door handles and mirrors ripped off by the three assailants.
The perpetrators first saw the victims at an off campus party, where they proceeded to call them “faggots” and “queers.” The two parties found themselves in the same Larkspur court parking lot following the party.
According to the report, when the non-student victim told officers he exited the vehicle, and all three men punched and kicked him, pushed him to the ground, and continued to kick and punch him while he was on the ground. The other victim remained in the car, honking the horn to alert passers-by.
A female resident assistant heard the honking and alerted campus police.
Sales admitted to officers that he called the two victims “faggots” at the off campus party. He said the two victims followed his car back to Larkspur.
Bishop told officers that that Rogers initiated the altercation, adding that he was not going to let Rogers hit him first. He told officers that he did not like “faggots” because he is a marine.
An eyewitness to the incident told officers that he saw Filipiak holding one of the victims by the throat while Bishop and Sales beat the car’s hood and windows with their fists.
The victim of aggravated battery received medical treatment on site and refused further medical attention.
Bishop is a member of the UIS men’s soccer team, but is currently sitting out due to a medical issue. Both Filipiak and Sales are former members of the soccer team.
Illinois hate crime legislation covers any crime in which a victim is selected because of “actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.”
A hate crime in Illinois is a class four felony, bringing with it a maximum prison sentence of three years. If a judge decides not to sentence a perpetrator to prison, a minimum of 200 community service hours.
The 1997 Hate Crimes Right to Know Act requires all college campuses in the U.S. to report all hate crimes committed on campus. The legislation says that violence inspired by hate “poses a serious national problem” and “such violence disrupts the tranquility and safety of campuses and is deeply divisive.”
The arrests took place two days before UIS’ annual “Coming Out Week” organized by Queer-Straight Alliance and the LGBTQ Resource Office.
Photo by Michael Omenazu Student Nick Theis sits in Saturday night’s campus forum held by adminis- trators. The forum gave students an outlet to air their concerns about safety on campus. “I feel less safe on campus now because of this incident,” Theis said. |
Photo by Kari Abate-Bedford Springfield resident Kaleigh Brutlag (left) holds one end of the pride flag at a rally in reponse to Saturday’s alleged hate crime. The event brought students, faculty, staff and community members out to the quad for a march and a “speak out” open mic. |
In response to the beating, administrators asked students to attend a campus forum to discuss the hate crime and their safety. Representatives from Housing and Residential Life, the Diversity Center and Student Life were present and facilitated the discussion.
Student Erin Jones attended the event as a member of the LGBTQ community on campus. “It’s a hate crime –everyone needs to be involved,” Jones said.
“It’s not just about sexual orientation, it could be anybody. They can think of any excuse to hate someone.”
Jones said the act hits close to home as a friend lives close to where the act occurred.
“It happened right outside my friend’s window and I walk over to his house all of the time so I feel targeted now,” she said. “I don’t feel safe being alone night anymore.”
Dean of Students Jim Korte urged students to watch out for each other.
“Don’t let someone tell the joke you find offensive. If they do, say something,” Korte said.
Korte said that the university strives to provide support, education and awareness to create an inclusive campus but these incidents still happen.
“We have one situation that’s very regrettable. We will continue the efforts that we have and we learn from it,” Korte said.
As of press time, Bishop, Filipiak and Sales posted bail and were no longer in custody. University officials said that they are pursuing judicial actions against the men, with Sales already put on academic suspension and removed from campus housing.
