Black LSU student reports possible hate crime, prompting Baton Rouge police investigation

A black, female LSU student is claiming she and her roommates were the targets of a hate crime at their off-campus apartment complex after their Halloween decoration was vandalized with a racist message referring to them as monkeys and the N-word.

Clarke Perkins, a junior and student activist on campus, contacted police about the incident after finding the phrase, "Go Back 2 Africa Nigger Monkeys" had been scribbled across the head of the decorative ghost Perkins and her four roommates had hanging outside the door of their University House apartment.

Officials with the Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed Thursday they are investigating the complaint but said no incident report had been filed yet for public review.

After Perkins posted a photo of the vandalized ghost on her Twitter page, LSU President F. King Alexander reached out to her. In his social media statement, King offered his condolences and met with Perkins on Thursday pledging to help her and her roommates move out of the complex if they wanted.

Read more: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_a4a8bcac-96f7-11e6-86c6-cba71a480505.html