Patriot Front is a white supremacist and anti-Semitic hate group. It broke off from Vanguard America in the aftermath of the deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August of 2017, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group was responsible for roughly 80% of the white supremacist propaganda found in 2020 . The Center on Extremism of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) tracked a near-doubling of white supremacist propaganda efforts in 2020 compared to 2019, though the number of incidents on college campuses dropped by more than half. ADL officials cited COVID-19 restrictions as a reason for the drop in university incidents.
These hate groups want exposure, Howard said, and they are getting it. He thinks that is why they have targeted the rock.
"Every time they put something on that rock what ends up happening is the media comes out, our students get engaged, you know," Howard said. "I think we're doing exactly what(...) they want us to do."
University officials at both NKU and Xavier say the graffiti has been removed and campus police are working together on an ongoing investigation. They believe the universities were "likely hit by the same suspects
No suspects have been identified as of Wednesday, though a photo of a suspect was released from NKU police after the January incident. Xavier police said they observed two individuals on camera footage after the most recent attack, wearing tan-colored pants and full-face coverings, one wearing a baseball cap with a blue and orange jacket and the other wearing a dark knit cap and a red jacket.
More: 'Disturbed at the lack of progress.' UC students demand support for Asian-identifying community
More: 'Back to the future': Northern Kentucky University announces fall 2021 plans
NKU's "Watch the Rock" campaign will launch by Friday, Howard said. University officials are working on a logo and setting up a website that will offer 24-hour surveillance footage of the rock. Howard said the university has also asked campus police to increase patrols in areas that have been vandalized.
"I want them to know that we're watching," Howard said, "that the whole campus is watching."
Even if they don't catch the perpetrator, Howard said, maybe the increased surveillance will prevent future incidents from happening.
Howard told The Enquirer there is no evidence so far that the individuals responsible for the NKU graffiti are in any way connected to the university, as students or otherwise.
Xavier police, too, don't believe the perpetrators are students.
"This is a violation of our campus from outsiders," Xavier police said in a Wednesday statement. "At this time, we know the organization who is responsible, but as the Anti-Defamation League suggests, are intentionally not sharing their name to further their propaganda. Their mission has been made clear to us – to bring hate to Xavier and divide our community as best as possible."
NKU has other programs in place to make sure students feel supported, Howard said. The Office of Inclusive Excellence is working on new programs to support students of color, and the university will host two sessions in April to field student feedback. There are also free counseling services available to all students.
"We all have to be a part of developing solutions," he said. "Sometimes what you hear is, 'what are we doing as administrators to solve the problem?' And we can only do as much as we can, but we also need assistance and support from the overall campus community."
