Twelve Salisbury University Students Charged with Hate Crimes

Twelve students from Salisbury University, primarily associated with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, have been arrested and charged with hate crimes after allegedly luring a gay man through the dating app Grindr and violently assaulting him. The group reportedly created a fake profile, posing as a 16-year-old to invite the victim to an off-campus apartment on October 15. Once there, they surrounded and attacked him, using homophobic slurs and inflicting injuries, including bruises and a broken rib. The assault, which lasted several minutes, was partially captured on video, prompting the police investigation after witnesses reported it. All involved face charges of first-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment, and hate crimes. In response, the university has placed the fraternity on suspension and the accused students have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.