A South Loop man who defaced an “equality” sign outside a Boystown elementary school with swastikas and obscenities was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to hate crime and institutional vandalism charges, according to Cook County court records.
Jarrod Barnes, 43, admits to scrawling Nazi symbols on signs at Nettlehorst Elementary School, 3252 North Broadway, in April 2024. Police stated he was heard saying, “teaching kids to be f****ts [sic],” while drawing the graffiti.
Barnes was detained shortly after the event when officers seeking an evidence technician noticed him across the street. A witness pointed him out to police, who discovered four Sharpie markers in his hands.
Judge Anjana Hansen imposed the four-year term on Monday. With good behavior, it will be reduced to two years, and Barnes will be reimbursed for the 623 days he spent on electronic monitoring. If he stays on track, he should be able to leave prison in just over 100 days.
Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) condemned the hate-motivated vandalism, saying he was “horrified” by it.
“We have no tolerance for anti-semitic, homophobic, or hateful incidents of any kind, and I hope the Jewish community in the 44th Ward and across our city know that I stand with them and their right to live without fear in our neighborhood,” the freshman alderman wrote shortly after Barnes was arrested.
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