ASHLAND — Southern Oregon University officials are condemning an alleged incident in which a student said he was intimidated and threatened by a group of men who called him names that suggested he was gay.

SOU President Elisabeth Zinser on Wednesday e-mailed a three-page letter to students, staff and faculty that mentions the "apparent hate crime" and urges a stand against discrimination on campus.

"At the very base of our duties is our obligation to promote a hate-free campus and strongly condemn discrimination based on sexual orientation and other honorable ways in which we differ as human beings," Zinser wrote.

The response was prompted by an alleged incident reported Monday to Ashland police by a 19-year-old male student who said he was verbally harassed and spat upon by a group of men who apparently perceived he was gay.

The student said the group of six to eight men harassed two women who walked with him to an Ashland convenience store at about 1 a.m. Sunday. When the student told the men to stop, the men turned their comments toward him, Ashland police Sgt. Teresa Selby said.

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The men allegedly followed the student back to his room at an SOU dormitory, where one of them continued being verbally aggressive, Selby said. The student said one of the men spit on him from an upstairs dorm room later that night.

Selby declined to call the incident a hate crime, but said incidents like the one reported by the student will not be tolerated.

"If that happened, it’s a big deal," Selby said. "They took it a little too far by calling the guy names. ... We are aggressively investigating it."

Selby said investigators have had difficulty obtaining statements from the alleged victim. Police interviewed several men identified by the student in a photo lineup as the suspects, but found they all had alibis, Selby said.

If arrests are made, Selby said, charges could include second-degree intimidation, a misdemeanor. She said the incident appeared closer to a "bar-type fight" than a case of a person being targeted because he or she is gay.

Anyone who witnessed any portion of the alleged incident is asked to contact Ashland police at 482-5211 or SOU campus security at 552-6911.

In response to the reported incident, SOU officials issued a "safety alert" to students reminding them to be safe while on campus and immediately report suspicious incidents to campus security.

Meanwhile, a pair of gatherings have been scheduled to address and condemn hate crimes. A vigil sponsored by the Abdill-Ellis Community Center will begin at 8:30 p.m. today at the Ashland Plaza. Organizers ask participants to bring a candle and sign to the event.

On-campus groups at SOU have organized an "anti-hate" rally for Monday at noon in the Stevenson Union courtyard. Community members are welcome to attend.

Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail jmoran@mailtribune.com