Editorial: Faked crime is a negative lesson on hate issues

Kerri Dunn, a visiting psychology professor at Claremont McKenna
College, claimed in March that she was the victim of a hate crime.
Her car was covered with racial epithets, the tires were slashed,
and the windows were broken. Over $1,700’s worth of
possessions were supposedly stolen. The next day, all five of the
Claremont campuses held rallies and canceled class for two
days.

Most disturbing of all: Dunn lied.

She was convicted last Wednesday of attempted insurance fraud
and filing a false police report. In a bizarre attempt to gain
notoriety or support, she apparently staged the vandalism herself
““ and could spend three and a half years in prison.

If her intent was to promote a campus discussion about hate
crimes, her criminal acts surely missed the mark. By abusing her
position as a professor, she managed to inflict damage on an
already delicate debate surrounding hate crime laws.

Dunn’s destructive and deceitful path has undoubtedly left
her one-time supporters feeling betrayed. Now, Dunn is still
technically on leave from her job as a professor. Hopefully
Claremont McKenna, and other schools, will keep her out of future
classrooms.

Hate crimes are sickening. Pretending to be a victim is even
more disgusting.