Wyant Morton, conductor of the California Lutheran University Choral Ensembles, was rehearsing early in the morning April 1 when he discovered that the Cal Lutheran’s Samuelson Chapel had been vandalized. 

Morton said in an email interview that he was in the chapel for a rehearsal at around 10 a.m. when he noticed glass on the floor of the chapel sanctuary. The stained glass window on the door had a hole in it. 

“The hole was about the size of a baseball. It looked like someone threw a rock, but I am not sure,” Morton said. 

Elizabeth Lohr-Myers, administrative assistant of Campus Ministry, said in an email interview the exterior chapel windows had been completely broken and a small portion of the interior stained glass was also broken. 

Morton said that after he found the damages in the chapel, he contacted Campus Safety and the campus pastor. 

Cal Lutheran Pastor Scott Maxwell-Doherty said in an email interview that Campus Security arrived and immediately took a report. 

“Our safety and security personnel were swift to respond and professional in their assessment. Our housekeeping staff were equally swift to respond as they cleaned up the shattered exterior and safety glass. Our facilities crew were quick to research, repair and replace needs,” Maxwell-Doherty said.

Supervisor of Campus Safety Robert Sadeh said that Campus Safety are currently working on investigating the case.

The Thousand Oaks Police Department was also contacted and there is a detective assigned to the case. 

Lohr-Myers said that Campus Ministry does not know much more about the vandalism either.

As of now, she said that both windows are repairable and are currently in the process of being fixed.

Maryssa Rillo
Staff Writer