Columbia University’s Chad Washington was charged with a hate crime.
It’s not too often a Columbia University football player makes the news, but when he does, it’s usually not good. On Tuesday, defensive lineman Chad Washington (19) was charged with second degree aggravated harassment, a hate crime, for allegedly assaulting another student and taunting him with racial slurs.
At approximately 1:45 a.m., the victim was leaving his dorm room with two women. Washington followed the group and started heckling the women. The victim jawed back with Washington and pushing and shoving ensued. Witnesses state that Washington grabbed the victim by the collar, yelled racial slurs and threatened to beat him up. Conversely, there are reports that the victim and his friends started this all by rubbing shoulders with Washington and his friends as they were crossing the quad. Washington, a sophomore, is African-American. The alleged victim is of Asian descent. The 242-pound lineman was released without bail on his own recognizance.
The Lions open the 2013 season on September 21 at Fordham.
