Benjamin's Story

Benjamin, who is Jewish, is a student in his final year of college who lives in on-campus housing. While communicating with his fellow students using an online platform, Benjamin saw that another student had used the forum to post graphic and disturbing threats against Jewish students. The campus Jewish organization, Hillel, also received bomb threats, and it circulated a warning to students on its contact list warning of increased antisemitism on campus. When passing the dining hall one morning, Benjamin saw a swastika spray-painted on the wall of the building and reported it to Campus Facilities. Later that evening, when returning to his room, Benjamin found a note that had been slipped under his door, threatening violence against him and other Jewish students. Benjamin reported these incidents to Campus Security and was interviewed by both Campus Security personnel and law enforcement officers. Two individuals were identified and criminally charged with hate crimes. Benjamin received a lot of papers from the officers, including one labeled “victims’ rights".

Two months later, Benjamin is informed that the prosecutor has offered to drop the hate crime charges against the people who had been charged, in exchange for guilty pleas to minor offenses. Benjamin is upset that he was not given an opportunity to talk to the prosecutor before this happened. Benjamin re-reads some of the papers the officers had provided and one of those says that victims have a right to “consult”. Benjamin seeks the help of an attorney to better understand his rights.