NYU student arrested after raising flag with swastikas

A New York University student has been arrested and charged with a hate crime for raising a flag featuring swastikas and a Star of David on a campus building during graduation week festivities last month. Alexander Stepnowsky, 23, was taken into custody this week following an investigation into the May 13 incident.

Stepnowsky faces charges including burglary as a hate crime, aggravated harassment, and criminal trespass. According to a criminal complaint, surveillance footage showed him inside and on the roof of the Steinhardt building on West 4th Street near Greene Street in Greenwich Village when the flag was raised shortly after 5 p.m. He used his NYU access card to move through the building, police said. When questioned, he admitted to constructing and raising the flag, citing concerns over the university's policies involving Israel, according to a source with knowledge of the case.

The flag, which resembled the flag of Israel but included two swastikas and the NYU logo, was displayed from the roof of the building named for Jewish philanthropists Michael and Judy Steinhardt. The incident occurred during NYU's annual Grad Alley event, an outdoor street fair around Washington...