Naod Nega, a student at Harvard Law School, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a fellow HLS student in a homophobic attack on Jan. 23. The assault was classified as a hate crime and Nega was charged with assault and battery for the purpose of intimidation.
According to a Harvard University police report, Nega repeatedly punched the student while calling him a homophobic slur. It also reports a witness who saw Nega was in possession of a baseball bat and believes Nega was either under the influence of narcotics or off medication.
The Harvard Crimson reports that Nega is currently on a leave of absence from HLS, and the school’s spokesperson declined to comment on his status, citing privacy laws. At his arraignment, Nega was ordered to undergo treatment and evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital and will return to court for a status hearing on Feb. 16, they added.
The attack sparked criticisms of the Law School’s response and claims of homophobia on campus, citing a pattern of violent threats against LGBTQ+ Harvard affiliates in August 2022 and a recent event hosted by the anti-abortion advocacy group Harvard Law Students for Life featuring a prominent opponent of same-sex marriage.
Some students are calling for institutional change at the Law School to create a culture that protects and values queer students, reported the Harvard Crimson.
The Crimson also reports that Harvard Law deans condemned the attack in an email to students and reaffirmed the school’s commitment to fostering a campus in which all members feel welcome, safe, and included. However, some students were upset with what they viewed as a lack of specificity in the deans’ statements.
