Former Northwestern student Matthew Kafker pleads not guilty in vandalism case

Madeline Fox, Reporter

Former Northwestern freshman Matthew Kafker pled not guilty to two dozen criminal charges, including 12 hate crime charges, related to the March 11 vandalism of Alice Millar Chapel.

Kafker and former Northwestern freshman Anthony Morales were charged in March with institutional vandalism, hate crime to a place of worship and criminal damage to property. They were each released on $50,000 bond March 12.

A grand jury indicted the two men on the 24 criminal charges last week.

The criminal charges include four counts of burglary, four counts of institutional vandalism and two counts each of criminal damage and criminal defacement of property in addition to the 12 charges of hate crime to a church, synagogue or place of worship.

University Police found homophobic, anti-Semitic, racist and other offensive graffiti inside Alice Millar Chapel on the morning of March 11, including in the chapel’s offices. It included a swastika, drawings of male genitalia and the word “Trump.”

University spokesman Al Cubbage told The Daily last month that Kafker and Morales are no longer enrolled. They were initially placed on interim suspension in March.

Morales, who was not scheduled to appear in court Thursday, will enter his plea when he is arraigned May 11 at Skokie Courthouse. Kafker and Morales will appear together on June 24, Kafker’s next court date.

This story was updated at 9:30 p.m.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @maddycfox