OSU Student Charged With Hate Crime Recalled, Loses Re-Election Bid

KLCC | By Brian Bull

Published February 20, 2018 at 11:35 AM PST

The Corvallis graduate student facing hate crime charges has been recalled in an Associated Students of Oregon State University election.

Andrew Oswalt is accused of placing racist bumper stickers on cars in Corvallis last June. He was arrested last month on two counts of first-degree intimidation and a felony hate crime.

Oswalt was running for re-election as a graduate representative. He came in last of the 11 students running for one of five seats.

Results posted online show nearly 90 percent of the roughly 5,000 votes cast favored a recall.

In an email to KLCC, Oswalt says he's "enthused" by the election results as most OSU students were "ambivalent" and didn't vote, while 10% of those who did supported him.

Copyright 2018, KLCC.

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Brian Bull

Brian Bull is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and remains a contributor to the KLCC news department. He began working with KLCC in June 2016. In his 27+ years as a public media journalist, he's worked at NPR, Twin Cities Public Television, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ideastream in Cleveland. His reporting has netted dozens of accolades, including four national Edward R. Murrow Awards (22 regional), the Ohio Associated Press' Best Reporter Award, Best Radio Reporter from the Native American Journalists Association, and the PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting.

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