No charges for student in UW-Madison anti-racism graffiti

MADISON — The Dane County district attorney says a University of Wisconsin-Madison student won't be charged for a series of political graffiti messages spray-painted on campus buildings.


Instead, the 21-year-old senior will enter a restorative court in Madison. The court allows young, low-level offenders to avoid criminal charges if they take steps such as compensating victims and doing community service.

The Wisconsin State Journal (http://bit.ly/23nnqx6 ) reports DA Ismael Ozanne said Tuesday the student is an appropriate candidate for the restorative court program.

UW-Madison police arrested the man last month after they said he spray-painted messages such as "White supremacy iz a disease." The graffiti caused an estimated $4,000 in damage to university buildings.

Protesters accused campus officials of caring more about the vandalism than they did about the racism it was protesting.