University of Illinois student no longer enrolled after allegedly leaving noose in elevator: school official

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A University of Illinois student charged with a hate crime for allegedly leaving a noose inside a campus elevator this week is no longer enrolled at the school, a university spokesman said Wednesday.

Andrew Smith, a 19-year-old sophomore, was arrested Monday in a dorm at the Urbana-Champaign campus, university police said in a statement.

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Smith enrolled at the university in the fall of 2018 to study math, but on Wednesday university spokeswoman Robin Kaler told the News-Gazzette in Champaign that he "is not enrolled at the university at this time."

Defense attorney Audrey Thompson on Tuesday declined to comment on the charges. She described her client during the arraignment as a sophomore with enough credits to graduate this year and a GPA of 3.79. (Champaign County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Kaler told the paper she couldn’t speak about whether Smith had been expelled, but said that an investigation must be conducted when the student code of conduct is violated.

Allen Hall residence staff told police they found the noose hanging at around 1 a.m. The find went viral on social media and a woman who said she was with Smith when he tied the noose came forward, according to Kaler.

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Smith told university police that he "only spent about 30 seconds thinking about his actions" and that even after checking social media, didn't think his actions were serious enough to turn himself in, said Champaign County Assistant State's Attorney Kristin Alferink during the arraignment Tuesday.

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Smith was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and a felony hate crime, police said. The charges are preliminary and may change during court proceedings.

Smith pleaded not guilty and was released on $5,000 bond, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing court records. His next court appearance is expected on Oct. 22.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.