Fort Lewis College Provost Barbara Jean Morris called Durango police Friday to report that someone had used a BB gun to cause an estimated $1,000 in damage to her home at 646 East Third Ave.
Police responded at around 12:30 p.m. and found four holes in two windows, said Sgt. David Longenette with Durango Police Department.
Broken glass was found in the house, but there were no injuries.
It is unknown exactly when the damage occurred, but Morris said she believes it happened between Tuesday and Thursday last week.
“It was definitely last week, because we had just finished putting Christmas decorations up.”
Morris said her partner came home from a hockey game late Tuesday evening and mentioned hearing what he described as breaking bottles in the street.
“That could have been the time,” she said.
Longenette said police had not determined whether the incident was a random act of vandalism or a premeditated crime.
“There are no suspects at this time, and there were no other reports in the area,” he said.
According to the police report, officers asked Morris if someone would have reason to specifically target her home. She told police that recent policy changes at the college may have upset some staff members, but she did not know of anyone in particular who would have shot out her windows.
“I don’t really know,” Morris said on Saturday. “I just know what the police told me – that they didn’t have any other complaints in the area and that I looked like a specific target.”
Morris has been the provost, or senior academic administrator, at FLC for 2½ years. She said she and FLC President Dene Kay Thomas made recommendations to the board of trustees regarding course credits and student workloads that may have upset some faculty members; students, and some have expressed dissatisfaction, but she said she isn’t sure that the vandalism is related.
“There is a perception of change in course credit and workload,” Morris said, “but it’s a complex issue.”
“It could just be some random thing,” she said. “I don’t know if they are related, and I’m not making any accusations at all.”
bmathis@durangoherald.com
