University of Massachusetts student charged after allegedly hitting another student at demonstration
The person was identified as Efe Erçelik
He was arraigned Monday in Eastern Hampshire District Court on seven charges.
A University of Massachusetts student was charged Monday for allegedly hitting another student at a Hamas demonstration in favor of Israeli captives. It was determined that the person was Efe Erçelik.
Jewish student organization Hillel organized “Bring Them Home: Solidarity March and Installation” on Friday, where the event took place. Students at UMass received this information through a statement from Vice Chancellor and Police Chief Tyrone Parham, as well as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Shelley Perdomo-Ahmed.
Who is Efe Ercelik?
Efe Erçelik is a student at the University of Massachusetts. A resident of Amherst. He was scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning in Eastern Hampshire District Court on seven charges. According to the UMass Amherst Police Department report, Erçelik used violence against two students attending the solidarity meeting just before 4 p.m. on Friday.
During the argument, she allegedly made obscene remarks, derogatory stereotypes and slurs against Jews. Erçelik is accused of hitting and kicking a student with the intent to cause physical harm. He also allegedly stole a small Israeli flag from the victim’s hand and later destroyed it.
Erçelik was released on $250 bail with instructions to stay away from the two victims specifically mentioned in the report and to stay away from the UMass Amherst campus completely. The next court appointment will be Jan. 16, at which time the motion to waive the assault and battery charge with intent to intimidate will be considered along with a pre-trial hearing.
Erçelik’s defense lawyer asked the judge to grant an exception to the campus restriction for certain situations, such as face-to-face exams, but the request was rejected. After two days of written requests, the defense argued for discretion at the university’s discretion.
