Police accuse Jasskirat Saini, a 20-year-old student, of scrawling the graffiti in the college's G building on Friday, Dec. 17 and several other acts of vandalism. (12/21/16)
Updated
PLAINVIEW - A student who police say drew swastikas inside a Nassau Community College bathroom was arraigned Wednesday on 12 counts of aggravated harassment.
According to prosecutors, Jasskirta Saini, 20, of Plainview, drew more than 100 hateful messages, including swastikas, KKK and "Hitler."
Officials say Saini scrawled the graffiti in the college's G building on Friday, Dec. 17. He is also accused of several other acts of vandalism, including two incidents on Tuesday and some dating back to October.
Saini pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Police say Saini did it because he felt he was being harassed by the Jewish community in his hometown of Plainview.
They also say he used black and blue magic markers to draw swastikas and anti-Semitic comments on walls and handrails. It's the sixth similar incident on campus over the last three months.
Acting Nassau Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter says surveillance video from the campus helped detectives track down Saini.
"We are deeply saddened that the alleged perpetrator is a student," NCC President W. Hubert Keen told News 12 in a statement. "We will use this unfortunate series of events as an object lesson for our students, faculty and staff."
In court, the judge said, "This wasn't one or two times. This was 12 different times. With society the way it is, it's like putting a match to gasoline. It could have had a dangerous effect. We've had enough violence in society this year. We don't need more."
Saini was held on $60,000 bail.
