Nothing kills momentum like this sad fact: Hate crimes and bias incidents are sometimes fabricated by so-called victims.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, such hoaxes happen "very rarely," but they do happen.

Perpetrators of hoaxes should be identified and, when appropriate, charged with fabricating crime reports. They and the public should be reminded of the damage done to a real cause when such hoaxes occur.

Be supportive of all apparent victims until a hoax is proven, but be thorough in your investigation. Root out and expose hoaxes as quickly as possible. If left to linger, the damage done by a hoax can be difficult to repair.

If a hoax has occurred on your campus, be prepared for backlash. Also, be ready for a climate of doubt if a subsequent hate crime is reported.

Remember, too, that hoaxes can go both ways; bogusly blaming black men for crimes is all too common.

In 1992 at Olivet College in Michigan, a white female student reported being attacked and left in the woods by four black men. In the years since, many campus officials have come to believe the report was entirely fictitious.

But it and other incidents caused tensions on campus to rise to the point that 51 of Olivet's 55 black students chose to quit the campus.

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