3 indicted for hate crimes against Jewish Brooklyn Museum officials

Three people have been indicted on hate crime charges for vandalizing the homes of Brooklyn Museum officials during pro-Palestinian protests earlier this summer, prosecutors announced Monday, Nov. 4. The New York residents now face multiple charges, including making a terroristic threat.

Taylor Pelton, Samuel Seligson and Gabriel Schubiner are charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, criminal mischief, graffiti-related offenses and conspiracy.

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The charges stem from an incident on June 12. Investigators said the group allegedly targeted the homes of museum board members with Jewish-sounding names.

Among the properties defaced were those of museum director Anne Pasternak, president and COO Kimberly Trueblood and board chair Barbara Vogelstein.

Prosecutors said the suspects used red paint to scrawl antisemitic messages, such as “Brooklyn Museum, blood on your hands,” and “War Crimes, Funds Genocide.”

They also hung banners with slogans like “White Supremacist Zionist” and symbols associated with Hamas, the militant group responsible for the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned the actions. In a statement he said the defendants “targeted museum board members with threats and anti-Semitic graffiti based on their perceived heritage.” He added, “These actions are not protests; they are hate crimes.”

The suspects also allegedly spray-painted security cameras in an attempt to avoid detection. However, surveillance footage captured them transporting supplies to and from Pelton’s vehicle, according to authorities.

Investigators linked Schubiner to the crime scenes by a fingerprint found on a stencil.

Authorities arraigned Schubiner, 36, on Monday, Nov. 4. He was released without bail. Authorities expect to arraign Pelton, 28, and Seligson, 32, next week.

Schubiner and Pelton each face 25 counts, while Seligson faces 17. The most serious charge the three face is making a terroristic threat as a hate crime.

Defense attorneys for the accused have strongly criticized the charges. Seligson’s lawyer, Leena Widdi, argued that her client was acting in his capacity as a credentialed member of the media. Seligson works as an independent videographer. She called the charges an “appalling” overreach by law enforcement.

Pelton’s attorney, Moira Meltzer-Cohen, framed the arrest as part of a wider trend of labeling Palestine solidarity actions as hate crimes.

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The vandalism occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions earlier in the year. In May, pro-Palestinian protesters briefly occupied the Brooklyn Museum’s lobby. They accused the institution of complicity in Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Museum officials have denied the claim.

The investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.