Pipe Dream is celebrating its 60th year as Binghamton University’s independent student newspaper. It started as the Colonial News in fall 1946 and has been going strong twice a week ever since. So we’re taking a look back into the paper’s archives, at the people and events that have made the news over BU’s past 60 years.

Friday, Dec. 12, 1989

“Oppenheim Acquitted: Found Innocent of Both Misdemeanors by Jury”

Former Jewish Student Union president James Oppenheim, who was arrested for painting anti-semetic slurs on the walls of the JSU office, was acquitted of all charges stemming from the Sept. 13, 1989, incident.

The prosecution accused Oppenheim of writing “Kill Kikes” and “Zionazi Racists” on the walls of the office, in order to raise consciousness for the 50th anniversary of Kristallnacht, after his thumbprint was lifted off of the cap of a can of spray paint allegedly used to commit the crime.

Upon questioning, Oppenheim claimed he had found the can in a desk drawer marked “James” and simply moved it to the publicity desk drawer where it belonged. He admitted that touching evidence after being instructed not to do so by the police “was a stupid thing to do.”

Oppenheim’s attorney, N. Theodore Sommer, however, insinuated investigators were using him as a scapegoat for the attack.

“[Oppenheim] is a defendant because this was a perfectly awful investigation,” he said.

Sommer criticized police for not checking the alibis of the student who discovered the graffiti, as well as those of 80 other members of the JSU who had access to the room during the time the crime was committed.

He also went on to cite other “holes” in the investigation, such as the failure of investigators to check Oppenheim’s hands and clothing for paint, question other residents in Oppenheim’s dorm about his whereabouts on the morning the crime took place and follow-up on leads identifying other suspects.

After five days of testimony and two hours of jury deliberation, Oppenheim was found not guilty of fourth degree criminal mischief and third degree false reporting of an incident.