COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Two people have been charged with multiple misdemeanors for allegedly vandalizing the Ohio State Jewish student center in November.

The office of City Attorney Zach Klein filed charges against the two, who are accused of vandalizing the Ohio State Hillel Wexner Jewish Student Center on East 16th Street. Charges include ethnic intimidation, theft, criminal trespass and criminal mischief.

According to reports, police said two women entered the center on Nov. 9 and asked to look around before one of the women went into a room and began taking Israeli flags. The suspects vandalized the flags and shouted out antisemitic threats. When confronted, the suspects allegedly yelled obscenities and said, “You support genocide. Free Palestine,” before leaving in a car driven by a man.

Vandalism at the OSU Hillel Wexner Jewish Center and an assault nearby were reported one day apart on OSU’s campus. (NBC4)

Naomi Lamb, the CEO of Hillel at Ohio State, said the group is grateful and appreciative of the charges. However, she said it has been a tough few months for Jewish students at Ohio State and this doesn’t fix the overarching problem.

“It was very challenging for the students and for the staff here, and it’s difficult when the place that you think is safe no longer becomes safe or makes you question whether or not it is safe,” Lamb said. “And given the times that we’re in and as I mentioned before, that this is not happening in isolation.”

Lamb said that since the war between Israel and Hamas started in October, there has been a rise in antisemitism on and around campus.

The city attorney said the two women accused of the hate crime are not students at Ohio State. They are charged with a misdemeanor for ethnic intimidation, theft, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief.  

According to court documents, the women went to the Jewish student center on Nov. 7, tore down Israeli flags, and yelled anti-Israel threats.

“So we appreciate and welcome the charges that have been brought by the city prosecutor’s office and at the same time hope that the tensions will lift holistically and that we will continue to see less instances of anti-semitism as we move forward,” Lamb said.

Lamb said the Hillel center is one of the few places Jewish students feel safe on campus and this incident took that away.

The incident occurred one day earlier and just north from where an assault was reported on campus near East 15th Avenue and High Street. According to police, two students were approached by two men, who asked them their religion. The men then reportedly yelled anti-Semitic slurs and struck both students in the face before running away.

Police said there is no indication that the two incidents are related. If convicted of the misdemeanor charges, the women could face up to 180 days in jail and pay $2,000 in fines.