Campus Alert Archive
U-M

'Are You Jewish?' — Michigan's DPSS Bulletin After a Group Asked, Then Beat, Spat On, and Kicked a Student to the Ground

MIaggravated assaulttimely warninghigh confidence
Under Investigation

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on September 15, 2024, a 19-year-old Jewish University of Michigan student was assaulted near S. Forest Avenue and Hill Street after a group of men asked his religion and he answered. The Ann Arbor Police Department investigated the attack as a 'bias-motivated assault' and 'ethnic intimidation', and U-M's Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) issued a Security Bulletin two days later condemning the attack.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
University of Michigan
Public R1 · MI
~52,065 studentsRaveDPSS Security Bulletin
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatimU-M Division of Public Safety and Security Bulletin archive (dpss.umich.edu)880 chars
The Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) condemns ethnic intimidation to the highest degree. This past weekend, a Jewish member of our community reported being a victim of antisemitism when assaulted by a group of individuals. DPSS continues leveraging all available resources and is working closely with AAPD partners and others across the campus to support the investigation and ensure the safety of our university and surrounding areas. There is no place for hate crimes or violence within our community, and we will remain vigilant in our efforts to hold those responsible accountable. It is important that anyone with information regarding the assault contact the AAPD tip line at 734.794.6939, email tips@a2gov.org, or call DPSS at 734.763.1131. Additionally, if you or someone you know has been a victim of a hate crime, contact 911, AAPD, or DPSS immediately.
DPSS framed the bulletin around 'ethnic intimidation' — Michigan's specific hate-crime statute (MCL 750.147b) — rather than the federal Clery 'hate crime' label
The bulletin does not specify the location, time, or suspect description that appeared in the underlying AAPD report; this brevity is unusual for a U-M Security Bulletin
Naming AAPD as lead investigator and including AAPD's tip line is unusual structure — the off-campus location at S. Forest and Hill Street put the case in AAPD jurisdiction even though the victim is a U-M student
U-M did not classify this as a Clery-Act timely warning at issuance; it was posted as a Security Bulletin (DPSS's discretionary advisory channel)
Context

Background

The University of Michigan, a public R1 university in Ann Arbor with approximately 52,000 students, has one of the largest Jewish student populations in the Big Ten. In the early hours of September 15, 2024, a 19-year-old Jewish student was walking with friends in the South University area when a group of men approached and asked his religion; when he answered, the men threw him to the ground, kicked him, and spat on him before fleeing on foot. The Ann Arbor Police Department classified the incident as a 'bias-motivated assault' and ethnic intimidation and the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security issued a Security Bulletin condemning the attack. The case became a national flashpoint as the ADL offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The incident occurred against the backdrop of the 2023-24 academic-year surge in campus antisemitic violence — Michigan was already under federal investigation for its handling of antisemitism complaints — and the alert language is notable for its restraint: U-M characterized the assault as ethnic intimidation but did not invoke the Clery 'timely warning' classification, instead using DPSS's advisory Security Bulletin channel.
Analysis

Key Findings

U-M's DPSS used the Security Bulletin (advisory) channel rather than a formal Clery timely warning — institutional choice that affected legal classification
The bulletin's word 'ethnic intimidation' references Michigan's hate-crime statute (MCL 750.147b) rather than federal hate-crime language
The 2-day delay between incident (Sept 15 ~12:30 a.m.) and bulletin (~Sept 17) reflects coordination with AAPD
AAPD — not DPSS — was the lead investigator because the assault occurred off the university footprint; this divided jurisdiction is reflected in the bulletin's tip-line guidance
The bulletin omits suspect description, location, and time — unusually brief structure for a U-M public-safety communication
The case occurred during a documented surge in campus antisemitic violence: the ADL reported 28 assaults on Jewish students nationwide in the 2023-24 academic year
Outcome
The 19-year-old student suffered minor injuries — bruising and abrasions — and did not require hospitalization. The Mizel Family Foundation pledged $5,000 toward information leading to arrest; an anonymous Michigan donor matched, bringing the reward to $10,000. The Ann Arbor Police Department continued investigating; no public arrest has been announced.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Security Bulletin 09/15/24: Ethnic Intimidation & Aggravated Assault [Updated] — U-M DPSS
    dpss.umich.edu
  2. News
    U of Michigan condemns assault of Jewish student on campus — Jewish Telegraphic Agency
    jta.org
  3. Student Paper
    AAPD reports bias-motivated assault against Jewish individual — Michigan Daily
    michigandaily.com
  4. Official
    ADL Condemns Attack on University of Michigan Jewish Student; Offers $10,000 Reward — ADL
    adl.org
  5. Official
    University of Michigan — ADL Campus Antisemitism Report Card
    adl.org
  6. News
    Jewish student attacked in Michigan after being asked his ethnicity — Times of Israel
    timesofisrael.com
Tags
hate-crimeantisemitismaggravated-assaultethnic-intimidationuniversity-of-michiganmichiganann-arbordpsssecurity-bulletinjewish-student-violencepost-october-7Under Investigation
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion