Michigan Student Says Lips Were Stapled Shut Because He Was Jewish
A 19-year-old college student who was attending a party near Michigan State University early Sunday morning said he was beaten and his lips were stapled together after his attackers asked if he was Jewish, according to police.
Zachary Tennen told police that while he was at a party in East Lansing, Mich., two men punched him after he told them he was Jewish when they asked.
Tennen's mother told the Indianapolis Star newspaper that the two men raised their arms "in a Nazi salute, chanting 'Heil Hitler,'" before attacking Tennen. They then allegedly stapled his lips together, forcing a staple into his gums, according to the report.
Tennen told police that the men also said they were part of the Klu Klux Klan, according to Michigan State University's school newspaper, The State.
According to that report, Tennen awoke from being knocked out and took a cab to a local hospital. He notified East Lansing police of the incident later Sunday morning.
The Tennens did not return calls from ABC News for comment.
According to the Indianapolis Star report, Tennen is now recuperating from surgery at home in Oakland County, Michigan.
The East Lansing police department said in a statement to ABC News today that they do not believe the assault was a hate crime. Police said they had interviewed two witnesses and identified a potential suspect, and the investigation was ongoing.