On Friday, Oct. 11, New York State Police charged Adyn Brenden ’27 with a single count of Aggravated Assault 1st Degree (“E” Felony) in response to his antisemitic remarks on the Crossroads Community Mural. The mural — a community project intended to foster dialogue about the election and civic engagement — was vandalized on Thursday, Oct. 10. According to Fox News, the defacement included a swastika and a message that “call[ed] for the death of Jews ‘wherever you find them,’” as learned through a New York State Police spokesperson.
Brenden, originally from South Dakota, was determined as the perpetrator of the destruction after a review of video surveillance and completion of interviews, as reported by Fox News who spoke to state police. Brenden is reported to have been willing to speak with State Police officers and eventually took responsibility for the crime.
During the week of the defacement, Brenden was active on X (Twitter) discussing the mural, as seen in screenshots on Jodel. On Oct. 10, he posted, “Why troll the internet when your college just opened a public ‘Mural’ to troll?” Later, after the vandalism, Brenden replied to his earlier tweet, writing, “UPDATE: They had to take the mural down because someone ‘vandalized’ it. (Who would have saw that coming?).” After his arrest, Brenden was active once again on X. He wrote, “Ok. Since you are so definitely NOT wondering! Guess who’s going to criminal court for ‘defacing’ a public mural.”
During a state police interview, Brenden claimed to have written the remarks to “‘show people what was underlining the pro-Palestinian movement other than just the surface of what people saw,’ and said he drew the swastikas to relate ‘what happened in Nazi Germany to what is happening today in Palestine,’” NBC News reported.
According to a press release from the New York State Police, “on October 11, 2024, at approximately 4:18 p.m., State Police Marcy Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to Hamilton College at 198 College Hill Road in the town of Kirkland after receiving a report of antisemitic remarks being posted on art canvasses on campus.” The press release confirmed Brenden’s suspension from campus and revealed a ticket for him to appear in Kirkland Town Court on Oct. 15 at 5:30 p.m.
The Spectator
attended the hearing. Due to his lack of legal representation at the time of the arraignment, the proceedings did not continue and the arraignment was scheduled for completion for Oct. 29, Judge Jay G. Williams III ’89 told
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. Brenden’s parents were in attendance alongside their son in the courthouse waiting room; however, they did not accompany Adyn to the judge’s chambers. In attendance at the Kirkland Courthouse at the time of the trial were two reporters from
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, one other Hamilton student, and other locals who appeared to be present for their own meetings with the judge, as the Kirkland Court is only open on Tuesdays, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Hamilton administration spoke directly about the vandalism. The initial news was shared in a campus-wide email from Ngonidzashe Munemo, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of Faculty and Professor of Government, on the day after the vandalism. “We are conducting a full investigation to determine who is responsible. We are rethinking how to move forward and will share more information next week,” wrote Munemo. “The hope is that our collaborative creative efforts will reflect the spirit of the Hamilton community — welcoming, intelligent, diverse, creative.”
Soon after the email was sent, Adyn Brenden ’27 was arrested by the NY state police in connection with the defacement, which was classified as hate speech and qualified as a felony. Brenden, who was located in his dorm at the time of the arrest, was officially charged with a single count of Aggravated Harassment 1st Degree.
President Tepper shared with the community in an Oct. 14 email that “according to the assessment by the NYSP, this student acted alone, his alleged actions were not associated with any campus group, and there remains no current threat against students or faculty at Hamilton College. Brenden is not currently in attendance at the College.” He also asked “everyone to stand together in solidarity and to hold one another accountable for maintaining this extraordinary learning environment free from intimidation.”
Prior to the vandalism, Brenden was known on campus for a public art account on Instagram which often portrayed animals engaging in sexually explicit behavior. Students report he was recognizable for frequently wearing tee shirts promoting Catholicism.
As of the evening of Oct. 23, Hamilton Campus Safety has not responded to
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’s request for comment.
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will be at the Kirkland Town Court on Oct. 29, reporting on the completion of the arraignment.
