Content warning: this article contains discussion of a hate crime.

A freshman’s car was vandalized with a racial slur in a suspected hate crime on campus on Sept. 24.

Jemein Lefang, computer information systems freshman, parked his car in the Woods Street Parking Garage at 11 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22. He said he doesn’t usually park in that garage but all the surrounding lots and garages were at capacity that night.

“It was late at night. I’m not sure if somebody maybe saw me park it or if somebody saw me driving around prior to the event happening. But I just left my car there for two days and then when I came back, that’s when I saw the scratch on my car,” Lefang said.

After the two days, Lefang came back to find the n-word keyed onto the trunk of his car and scratches on the vehicle’s right door on Tuesday, Sept. 24. However, he did not notify anyone right away.

“I couldn’t exactly react, because I was on the way to the hospital to see my sister in Austin, she was in the hospital for third-degree burns,” Lefang said. “So I actually had to just push it aside and pretend like I didn’t see it.”

Lefang and his father drove to the University Police Department (UPD) after leaving the hospital on Sept. 24. After they explained the situation, UPD said they would check the Woods Street Parking Garage cameras and notify Lefang if they found a suspect.

Lefang has yet to receive any updates from UPD regarding the search for the suspect, but the department contacted him to request the repair bill for the damages to his car. Lefang said he plans to take his car to Houston for repairs in the coming days.

In an email statement from Texas State President Kelly Damphousse on Oct. 4, he said UPD launched a criminal investigation into the incident and the case has been referred to Title IX and Office of Equal Opportunity for review.

“Such acts, against even one member of our Bobcat community, affect us all. Thus, it is vital that hate crimes involving our campus community are addressed with the utmost seriousness and with immediate action,” Damphousse wrote.

Lefang’s sister put out an anonymous post on Reddit to find the perpetrator of the hate crime on Sunday, Sept. 28.

“Sometime this week, somebody took it upon themselves to key [the n-word] in all caps and some more scratches on the side of my little brother’s car. He said he was parked at the top floor in [Woods Street Parking Garage] and he drives a Black CLA Benz,” the victim’s sister wrote.

Subsequently Texas State’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter became aware of the situation and has been contacting Lefang to highlight the hate crime.

In an Instagram post, Texas State NAACP President Jordan Williams outlined several requests for the university to “ensure the safety and well-being of all students.” Williams called on Damphousse to issue a statement condemning the hate crime and urged the university to be transparent in its investigation. He also requested the university reaffirm its commitment to combating racism, using this incident as a catalyst for change and asked for a review of current security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“As an institution serving majority people of color it is disheartening to witness actions that contradict our university’s mission to embrace diversity… with over 57% of our student population identifying as people of color, Texas State University must take a firm stand against hate and discrimination,” Williams wrote in the post.

According to the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report, there was an increase from six hate crimes in 2022 to seven in 2023 on Texas State’s San Marcos campus. Out of the seven, there were two vandalism incidents connected to race on campus.

While Lefang said the hate crime does not affect him or his character, he also said the incident highlights the broader issue of racism.

“Everybody thinks racism is not really a topic anymore but I feel like it’s going on just maybe in the background. You might not be able to see it, but it’s clearly there,” Lefang said.

This is a developing story. The University Star will provide updates as they become available.